By Chris Cornford
Island businesses eligible for government grant support under the latest national lockdown can now apply via the council’s website.
The application forms and details of the grant help can be accessed via: iow.gov.uk/covid19_businessadvice
Under the national lockdown there are rolling payments and top up grants for eligible ratepaying businesses in certain categories. Some businesses may also qualify for grant support relating to the brief period around Christmas when the Island was under Tier 3 and then Tier 4 restrictions. There is also support for ‘wet’ led pubs for late December.
In addition, the council is offering government-funded discretionary grant help to businesses which may fall outside these schemes, and has created a Winter Business Support Grant scheme.
The grant schemes for which businesses can apply are as follows:
Rolling grant payments (from 5 January 2021) – These are 28 day rolling payments ranging from £1,334 to £3,000 depending on rateable value for eligible ratepaying businesses in certain categories.
One-off top-up grants (from 5 January 2021) – These range from £4,000 to £9,000 depending on rateable value, and are for eligible ratepaying businesses in certain categories which are legally required to close under the current lockdown, and which cannot operate effectively remotely:
Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) – This scheme relates to grants that are available to eligible ratepaying businesses for the period during the earlier local Tier 3 and Tier 4 restrictions on the Island around Christmas and the new year.
Winter Business Support Grant (WBSG) – The council has created this scheme as an extension of the previous Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) scheme, which operated for the November lockdown. This discretionary scheme will support businesses severely impacted by the lockdown, including those in the supply chain and not eligible for national lockdown or LRSG support.
Christmas support payments for ‘wet’ led pubs – If your pub was in Tier 3 between 2 December 2020 and 29 December 2020 you may be eligible for a one off payment of £1,000. Island pubs were in Tier 3 from 26 December.
Cabinet member for regeneration and business development, Councillor Wayne Whittle, said: “I would urge all qualifying Island businesses to apply for this vital help as quickly as possible, via the council’s website.
“As with all the other government business grants during the pandemic, our staff have been working tirelessly to ensure these grants are available to Island businesses as swiftly as possible.
“The application forms are now in place, and we hope to process payments quickly to help our Island businesses and economy at this very difficult time. We hope these schemes will be able to help many Island businesses, and have introduced our additional discretionary Winter Business Support Grant to broaden the range even further.”
Press Release