Latest Business news for businesses - COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

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Business news

In this issue:


Apply for a COVID-19 (Coronavirus) business grant

Coventry City Council is working hard to support local businesses by making grant support available through the Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF) and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF). This is grant support and therefore will not need to be repaid.

To date, 53% of eligible businesses in Coventry have claimed, amounting to grant payments totalling over £31million.

If you think you might be eligible and haven’t yet claimed: Apply for a grant now

Please read the eligibility criteria and if you qualify complete the verification form. You will need your business rates customer reference number which can be found on your bill.


Bounce Back Loan Scheme

The Bounce Back Loans scheme, announced by the Chancellor on 27 April, will allow small businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000 and access the cash within days. Loans will be interest free for the first 12 months, and from Monday 4 May, businesses can apply online through a short and simple form. 

For a summary of the latest coronavirus business support information please visit our dedicated COVID-19 advice and grants for businesses web page.


Webinar: Funding & Business Support available to Coventry businesses during COVID-19

Webinar

5 May 2020, 11am-11.45am

Small or medium-sized businesses are currently facing a period of uncertainty, but there is government funding support available for businesses during the coronavirus. In Coventry and Warwickshire, well over £100m has been made available in business grants since the start of April. However, there are still thousands of eligible businesses that we haven't heard from yet. Businesses receiving either Small Business Rates Relief or Expanded Retail Discount are eligible for payments of £10,000 or £25,000. This webinar will provide an easy to understand guide to all the funding options that are available.

There will also be details provided around funding and grants which are available for small to medium sized organisations (SMEs) through the Coventry and Warwickshire Green Business; Business Support and Innovation Programmes including the latest information about an additional £8.1m which is available for local businesses until June 2023 through our three European Regional Development Funded (ERDF) programmes.

Webinar objectives:

  • Provide details on all the different funding options that are available to SMEs during COVID-19 and how to apply
  • Update on the Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF) and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF) and the criteria of each
  • Information about the Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)
  • Explanation about the business rates holiday scheme
  • Update on fraud prevention and what to look out for
  • Hear about delivery partners who are supporting businesses including the CW Growth Hub and CW Chamber and the various digital toolkits you can access
  • Every attendee will receive a detailed fact sheet following the webinar with useful links to funding and business support
  • Find out more about the grant funding which is available through the Coventry and Warwickshire Green Business; Business Support and Innovation Programmes
  • Ask your own questions and network with Coventry City Council through this live webinar

Speaker - David Hope, Programme Development Manager, Coventry City Council

Register now


Coronavirus survey

As the UK's leading business organisation FSB has worked tirelessly with Government at the highest level to highlight the significant difficulties faced by small firms during these hugely uncertain times. The FSB successfully lobbied for the package of measures announced by Government to support small firms through the crisis. However, the FSB recognise that many small firms continue to lack the necessary support they need. FSB is committed to working continuously to represent the diverse nature and circumstances of small firms to Government and policy makers as they seek to navigate the crisis, but also as they look towards post-crisis recovery.

In order to get the information needed from the business community, to continue to provide robust evidence to Government, highlighting the myriad problems faced by small firms and seeking solutions, they have launched a Coronavirus Survey.

This survey is an opportunity to have ensure the voice of local business is heard.

Topic: Getting your views on the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19)

Impact: Extensive measures to limit the spread of COVID-19 look set to continue across the UK .

Survey length: 12-15 minutes.

The survey is open to members and non-members and available until Thursday 30 April 2020.

Be assured that individual responses, including information of any other businesses that one might name, are completely confidential.


Find it in CW - new website for supply chain opportunities

FinditinCW

A new business website aimed at SMEs has been launched to provide companies with high-profile supply chain opportunities, news and events happening in Coventry and Warwickshire.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub has joined the Finditin regional network which has over 80,000 registered users and has advertised over £50 billion worth of opportunities so far in 2020.

The new FinditinCW involves the Growth Hub, the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership, the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and the local authorities to give businesses access to private and public sector contracts and link-up buyers with suppliers across a variety of sectors.

The user-friendly website at www.finditincw.co.uk will be a one-stop shop for all contracts and opportunities for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and HS2 as well as tender and contract alerts for high-profile projects in the area.

There will also be an internal Quick Quote system to invite potential suppliers to quote for goods and services, information about news and events with the opportunity for businesses to promote their own events and details about business support from the CWLEP Growth Hub and the Chamber of Commerce.


Economic Development Service

Tel: 08085 834333

Email: business@coventry.gov.uk

Website: www.coventry.gov.uk/investincoventry

Twitter: @investincoventry

LinkedIn: Coventry City Council Business Investment Team