COVID19 Support for local businesses 

How are we supporting local businesses?

Central Bedfordshire Council has published a range of Covid-19 related advice, including business support. Here you will find further details of the Government’s job retention scheme, support for the self-employed and the range of company loan facilities.

As part of the full range of support measures, we are administering the Covid-19 business rates relief and the related business support grants.

Business rates relief

The Government has extended the business rates holiday (100% business rates relief) to all retail, leisure, hospitality and nursery businesses irrespective of rateable value.

You do not need to get in touch with us as most of the revised bills will be issued by 3 April, and in the meantime, we have advised those companies who already qualified for some retail relief not to make the first tranche of payments requested of them by their recent bills.

If you haven’t heard from us by 15 April 2020, please contact the business rates team.

Telephone: 0300 300 8011 Email: businessrates@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk

Business support grants

There are two grant funding schemes available to businesses that are registered for business rates.

Small Business Grant Fund - This is a £10,000 grant for all businesses in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief.
Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund - This grant scheme offers;

• a grant of £10,000 available for businesses with a rateable value of less than £15,000
• a £25,000 grant for those businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or more but less than £51,000

We are aware of eligible businesses in Central Bedfordshire, but we need to collect some additional information from those firms as part of this process, so please give us your business information online

NB Your business needs to have been registered for business rates as of 11 March 2020 and you will need to quote your business rates reference number when completing the form.

We are expecting more than 3700 businesses to apply for the grants and we are working through the forms as quickly as possible. Once your application is approved then we expect to be able to release the funds within 2 weeks.

Getting support

Please use the online form in the first instance. We have one council-wide form with a dropdown menu so your request will be channelled to the right team. If you need to contact us in an emergency, please call 0300 300 8900.