COVID-19 - Government support for businesses
The Government has announced new funded grants to support businesses impacted by the national COVID-19 restrictions from 5 November to 2 December 2020.
Please note that these are grants so do not have to be repaid.
Three types of grants are available:
- Local Restrictions Support Grants (LRSGs)
- Additional Restrictions Grants (ARGs)
- Local Restrictions (sector) Grants
Local Restrictions Support Grants (LRSGs)
About the grant
This grant scheme is for businesses that:
- normally provide direct, in-person services on their premises but have been mandated to close under the national COVID-19 restrictions in place from 5 November
- have a live business rates account with Swindon Borough Council (even if the property has been awarded rate relief)
GOV.UK website - full list of business types that must remain closed during the lockdown period
Eligibility
The GOV.UK website refers to these grants as Local Restrictions Grants (closed) Addendum in their guidance, where you can check if your business is eligible. You must also read the full criteria below to make sure you're eligible for the grant.
- Businesses which have been mandated to close but still able to trade in other, safe ways (for example, offering click and collect or takeaway) can apply. However, if their substantive business was already take-away or deliveries, they are not eligible
- Applicants can be sole traders, businesses, charities and community interest companies
- On 4 November 2020 businesses must have:
- not been in administration, insolvent or subject to a striking office notice
- not been an undertaking in difficulty (with the definition of Article 2(18) of the General Block Exemption Regulation)
- been actively trading (buying and selling goods or services)
- Businesses must not have received more than 800,000 EUROS in state funding within the last three-fiscal year period. Please read the Government guidance about state aid
- Businesses can apply for an LRSG grant for each eligible trading property, so may receive multiple grants
- The rateable value on Valuation Office and council records on 4 November 2020 will be used to determine the payment received. Mandatory grant values set by the Government are:
- £1,334 for properties with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 or under
- £2,000 for properties with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000
- £3,000 for properties with a rateable value of exactly £51,000 or above
- Please note these grants are taxable
- We will endeavour to protect against fraud and neither we nor the Government will accept deliberate manipulation and fraud. Any businesses falsifying information will face prosecution and any funding issued will be clawed back
- Swindon Borough Council may verify any information from grant applications with other council departments and government departments
- There is no appeals process if your application is rejected
If your business is not eligible for this grant, please read the Additional Restrictions Grants criteria.
Making your application
- First, read about how to apply
- Access the online application form at the bottom of the page
- Make your application by 5.00pm on Wednesday, 2 December 2020. We won't consider applications made after the application window closes
- We will make grant payments as quickly as possible, usually within five working days of your application being processed
Additional Restrictions Grants (ARGs)
About the grant
This grant scheme aims to support small businesses (50 or less employees) that are not eligible for the LRSGs, but have lost income due to the national COVID-19 restrictions in place from 5 November 2020.
Eligibility
You can check if you're eligible for the Additional Restrictions Grant at GOV.UK. You must also read the full criteria below to make sure you're eligible for the grant.
- This scheme applies to businesses that either:
- are mandated to close under the national COVID-19 restrictions but do not have a live business rates account
- are not mandated to close under the national COVID-19 restrictions but have lost income since 5 November 2020 because of the restrictions
- This will include small businesses which do not have a live business rates account because they either:
- work from home
- rent from a landlord who is responsible for the rates
- work in a shared space
- Applicants can be sole traders, businesses, charities, town and parish councils or community interest companies
- On 4 November 2020 businesses must have:
- not been in administration, insolvent or subject to a striking office notice
- not been an undertaking in difficulty (with the definition of Article 2(18) of the General Block Exemption Regulation)
- been actively trading (buying and selling goods or services)
- Businesses must not have received more than 800,000 EUROS in state funding within the last three-fiscal year period. Please read the Government guidance about state aid
- Eligible applicants may receive a fixed grant of £1,000 for the period from 5 November to 2 December 2020
- Eligible applicants will receive one grant per business, irrespective of how many properties they operate. However, a business which operates a property that is eligible for a LRSG and a separate property which is eligible for an ARG can apply for each scheme
- We will endeavour to protect against fraud and neither we nor the Government will accept deliberate manipulation and fraud. Any businesses falsifying information will face prosecution and any funding issued will be clawed back
- Swindon Borough Council may verify any information from grant applications with other council departments and government departments
- There is no appeals process if your application is rejected
Making your application
- First, read about how to apply
- Access the online application form at the bottom of the page
- Make your application by 5.00pm on Friday, 11 December 2020. We won't consider applications made after the application window closes. However, we anticipate that the criteria will be reviewed, and further applications windows will be opened after this date, subject to available funding
- We will make grant payments as quickly as possible, usually within five working days of your application being processed
Local Restrictions (sector) Grants
The Government has allocated additional pro rata funding for the period covering 1 November to 4 November to support businesses which have been subject to closure since March 2020. These businesses are nightclubs, discos, and sexual entertainment venues.
Swindon Borough Council will contact these businesses directly to check eligibility and make payment. If your business has not been contacted by 24 November 2020, please contact support@swindon.gov.uk with Sector Grants in the subject line.
How to apply for LRSGs or ARGs
- Only company directors, owners, employees, or authorised representatives can make an application
- You must read the application criteria first
- Access the online application form on this page
- You will be asked to sign in to or create an online account
- The address for your account should be your business address
- During the application, you will need to upload a copy of your personal photo identification (driving licence or passport). This can be a scanned document or a photograph, and must be a JPG, PDF or MS Word file, with a clear file name
- We may need to upload further information and/or documents to aid your application. Please provide as much information as you can in each section.
- We will not consider applications that:
- are incomplete
- are made without the required documents uploaded
- are made after the application window closes
- If you need support making your application, email support@swindon.gov.uk explaining the help you need
- If the website is busy and affecting your application, please return later. We expect the website to be busiest before midday