Financial support through business grants are available for businesses impacted by the coronavirus restrictions.
We appreciate how crucial these grants are to businesses and will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that you receive these as soon as is practicable.
The following grants have been established to help support businesses through the coronavirus outbreak:
COVID-19 - Essex Business Adaptation Grants - for businesses to adapt their premises and operations so that they can continue to operate and generate an income despite restrictions.
COVID-19 - Local Restrictions Grant - for businesses legally required to close from 5 November 2020 to 2 December 2020 and from 16 December 2020 to 19 December and from 20 December 2020 onwards.
COVID-19 - Additional Restrictions Grant (discretionary scheme) - A discretionary scheme to help businesses which have had to close, or been able to trade but have been severely affected by the COVID-19 restrictions, regardless of whether they pay business rates.
We understand the various grants can be confusing. If you are unsure on what financial support you or your business are eligible for, please contact our Business Hub by emailing coronavirusbusiness@basildon.gov.uk
 The Chancellor recently announced that the furlough scheme has been extended until the end of April 2021.
The government will continue to pay 80% of the salary of employees for hours not worked until the end of April. Employers will only be required to pay wages, National Insurance Contributions (NICS) and pensions for hours worked; and NICS and pensions for hours not worked.
Businesses will also be given until the end of March to access the Bounce Back Loan Scheme, Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, and the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme. These had been due to close at the end of January.
Testing if you don't have symptoms
You may be unaware you have coronavirus if you are showing no symptoms. And you could, unknowingly, be passing it on to family, friends and colleagues. The more of us that get tested, the quicker we can stop the spread.
A lateral flow test (LFT) allows people who have no symptoms to find out if they are infected. It's a rapid test, and you can get a result within 20-30 minutes.
Currently, residents of Basildon, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Epping Forest, Harlow, Rochford and Tendring, who do not have symptoms, can book a test online.
Tests are by appointment only.
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Testing if you have symptoms
If you have coronavirus symptoms, get a test as soon as possible.
Book a visit to a test site, test sites are open 7 days a week. Or you can order a home test kit if you cannot get to a test site.
If you’re getting a test because you have symptoms, you and anyone you live with must self-isolate until you get your result.
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 Over Christmas, The Mayor’s Charity Appeal Trust launched the ‘Keep the lights on’ appeal to raise funds in support of our borough’s casual workers, in a period where they have missed out on working due to coronavirus restrictions.
Normally they would be in the busiest time of their year, doing extra shifts and gaining festive tips, but instead they are unable to work or gain access to financial support from the government.
When launching the appeal, Basildon was under Tier 4 restrictions, and with the country now in a national lockdown, the future for casual workers within the hospitality remains uncertain, and the need for them to be supported increases.
Thank you to those of you who have been able to donate so far. Let’s continue to pull together and show our support for our casual workers, to help them to prosper in 2021.
The Lower Thames Crossing is part of the biggest investment in the country’s road network for a generation and an essential component in the UK’s future transport infrastructure. We want a supply chain with local SMEs at the core and are putting in place initiatives to support local businesses, to help them overcome any potential obstacles and be in the best possible position to win work on the project.
The latest initiative is the launch of a dedicated SME Directory, which will be shared with the Tier 1 contractors tendering for the three major contracts that will form the project. Using the Directory, these major contractors will be able to easily see and contact local suppliers with the skills and knowledge to form their supply chains.
Registering for the SME Directory involves filling in a short form to provide contact details, information about the nature of the business and the goods or services it provides, and a brief description of what sets the business apart from others.
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