COVID-19 - Government support for businesses

The Government provides a range of support for businesses and organisations which are affected by coronavirus restrictions. We recommend you first check the Government’s support finder tool to get an understanding of what support is available to you.

It can be complicated to know which grant or grants to apply for, particularly because restriction guidelines have changed so rapidly over recent months.

You may be able to apply for multiple grants. To make it easy to apply for grants that you may be eligible for, we recommend you:

1. browse through each date period below
2. select a business description that matches yours
3. click through to the grant application page(s), where you can read more about eligibility and make your application

Alternatively, you can view a list of available grants, and click through to their respective pages.

Find grants by date:

From April to June 2021 - Restart Grants

Business closed by law, with a business rates account

Your business property is used for non-essential retail, hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care or gym and sports and has a business rates account with Swindon Borough Council.

Apply for:

• Restart Grants for non-essential retail, hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care or gym and sports businesses

From 16 February to 31 March 2021 – Extended national lockdown period

Business closed by law, with a business rates account

Your business property was required to close under national restrictions and has a business rates account with Swindon Borough Council.

Apply for:

• Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum: 16 February to 31 March 2021

Business closed by law, without a business rates account

Your business property was required to close under national restrictions and does not have a business rates account with Swindon Borough Council.

Apply for:

• Discretionary grant for tourism, leisure, hospitality and non-essential retail businesses (Additional Restrictions Grant Version 3) - 16 February 2021 onwards

Business which directly supply tourism, leisure and hospitality businesses

Although your business property may not be mandated to close under national restrictions, your main income comes from businesses which are required to close.

Apply for:

• Discretionary grant for tourism, leisure and hospitality suppliers (Additional Restrictions Grant Version 3) - 16 February 2021 onwards

From 6 January to 15 February 2021 – National lockdown period

Business closed by law, with a business rates account

Your business property was required to close under national restrictions and has a business rates account with Swindon Borough Council.

Apply for:

• Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum: 5 January onwards (Applications closed on 31 March 2021)
• Closed Business Lockdown Payment (Applications closed on 31 March 2021)
• Additional Restrictions Grant - Version 2

Business with a reduced income, with or without a business rates account

Your business has lost income as a result of the national restrictions.

Apply for:

• Additional Restrictions Grant - Version 2

Sole trader taxi driver

You are a sole trader taxi driver licensed to Swindon Borough Council and operating with a reduced income during the national lockdown period.

Apply for:

• Additional Restrictions Grant – Taxi driver sole traders

31 December 2020 to 5 January 2021 - Tier 4 period

Business closed by law, with a business rates account

Your business property was required to close under local restrictions and has a business rates account with Swindon Borough Council.

Apply for:

• Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum Tier 4 (Applications closed on 31 March 2021)

2 December to 30 December 2020 – business either open or shut throughout both Tier 2 and Tier 3 periods

Wet pub closed by law, with a business rates account

Your wet pub business property was required to close under local restrictions throughout both Tier 2 and Tier 3 periods and has a business rates account with Swindon Borough Council.

Apply for:

• Back payment of Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) (Applications closed on 31 March 2021)
• Christmas Support Payment for wet-led pubs (Applications closed)

Wet pub closed by law, without a business rates account

Your wet pub business property was required to close under local restrictions throughout both Tier 2 and Tier 3 periods, but does not have a business rates account with Swindon Borough Council.

Apply for:

• Back payment of Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open) (Applications closed on 31 March 2021)

Certain business type permitted to stay open, with or without a business rates account

Your business operates in a specific, in-person service sector and lost income during the Tier 2 and Tier 3 periods, but was not required to close by law.

Apply for:

• Back payment of Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open) (Applications closed on 31 March 2021)

Sole trader taxi driver

You are a sole trader taxi driver licensed to Swindon Borough Council and operating with a reduced income during the Tier 2 and Tier 3 periods.

Apply for:

• Additional Restrictions Grant – Taxi driver sole traders

26 December to 30 December 2020 – just Tier 3 period

Certain business type closed by law, with a business rates account

Your business operates in a specific, in-person service sector, was required to close during the Tier 3 period, and has a business rates account with Swindon Borough Council.

Apply for:

• Back payment of Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) (Applications closed on 31 March 2021)

2 December to 25 December 2020 – just Tier 2 period

Certain business type permitted to stay open, with or without a business rates account

Your business operates in a specific, in-person service sector and lost income during the Tier 2 period, but was not required to close by law.

Apply for:

• Back payment of Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open) (Applications closed on 31 March 2021)

From 5 November to 2 December 2020 – Previous national lockdown period

Business closed by law, with a business rates account

Your business property was required to close under national restrictions and has a business rates account with Swindon Borough Council.

Apply for:

• Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum: 5 November to 2 December 2020 (Applications closed on 31 March 2021)

23 March 2020 to 5 January 2021

Nightclubs, discos and entertainment venues, with a business rates account

Your business was required to close throughout the period from 23 March 2020 to 5 January 2021, is a nightclub, disco or adult entertainment venue, and has a business rates account with Swindon Borough Council.

Apply for:

• Local Restrictions (sector) Support Grant (Applications closed on 31 March 2021)

Browse grants by name:

In Swindon, the following grant schemes are currently available. Click through to the relevant pages for eligibility details and how to apply:

• Restart Grants for non-essential retail, hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care or gym and sports businesses - 1 April 2021 – 30 June 2021 (Restart1APR): This grant is aimed at business properties used for non-essential retail, hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care or gym and sports. Applications close on 30 June 2021.
• Additional Restrictions Grant - Version 2: This grant is being used both to top up the LRSGCA5JAN grant and is for businesses not eligible for the LRSGCA5JAN grant but have lost income. If your business is eligible, you will receive a one-off fixed payment of £2,000 per business property. Applications close on 30 April 2021.
• Additional Restrictions Grant – Taxi driver sole traders: For sole trader private hire or hackney carriage taxi drivers who are licensed by Swindon Borough Council.
• Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum: 16 February to 31 March 2021 (LRSGCA5JANX): This grant is aimed at businesses which have remained closed and subject to national restrictions. Applications close on 31 May 2021.
• Discretionary grant for tourism, leisure, hospitality and non-essential retail businesses (Additional Restrictions Grant Version 3) - 16 February 2021 onwards: A one-off grant for businesses which are told to close under the national restrictions and do not have a business rates account with Swindon Borough Council (so are not eligible for the LRSGCA5JAN extension). If your business is eligible, you will receive a one-off fixed payment of £500 if you work from home or share a commercial space, or £1,500 if you occupy a whole commercial property. Applications close on 30 April 2021.
• Discretionary grant for tourism, leisure and hospitality suppliers (Additional Restrictions Grant Version 3) - 16 February 2021 onwards: A one-off grant for businesses which are not required to close under the national restrictions but directly supply tourism, hospitality or leisure businesses. If your business is eligible, you will receive a one-off fixed payment of £500 if you work from home or share a commercial space or £1,500 if you occupy a whole commercial property. Applications close on 30 April 2021.
• Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum: 5 November to 2 December 2020 (LRSGCA5NOV): This grant is aimed at businesses which were mandated to close during the previous national lockdown period. The application window for this grant has now closed.
• Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed): Wet-led pubs (establishments which derive less than half their income from food sales) which have been told by the Government to close between 2 December 2020 and 30 December 2020. The application window for this grant has now closed.
• Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open) (LRSGO): Businesses in the hospitality, accommodation and leisure industry which remained open but were severely affected by the local restrictions in Swindon from 2 December 2020 to 30 December 2020. The application window for this grant has now closed.
• Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum Tier 4: For businesses affected during the period when Swindon was under Tier 4 restrictions, from 31 December 2020 to 5 January 2021. The application window for this grant has now closed.
• Local Restrictions (sector) Support Grants (LRSGS): For nightclubs, discos and adult entertainment venues required to close for the entire period from 23 March 2020 to 5 January 2021. From 6 January 2021 LRSGS ceased temporarily and businesses should also apply for the LRSGCA5JAN grant, below. The application window for this grant has now closed.
• Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum: 5 January onwards (LRSGCA5JAN): This grant is aimed at businesses which have remained closed and subject to national restrictions. The application window for this grant has now closed.
• Closed Business Lockdown Payment (CBLP): A one-off payment for businesses which have been required to close from 5 January 2021 due to national restrictions. The application window for this grant has now closed.
• Christmas Support Payment for wet-led pubs: A one-off payment of £1,000 for wet-led pubs in Swindon. The application window for this grant has now closed.