A full range of business support measures have been made available to UK businesses and employees.
Follow the links to see the latest updates from Government, find financial support for your business and click here if you are self employed.
The Government has set up a business support helpline on 0300 456 3565. This is available Monday to Friday from 9am to 6pm.
Visit the Malvern Hills website for the latest Covid business advice. If you are not receiving this newsletter directly, please sign up to our regular email newsletter for the latest updates on business support.
As you are aware, the Prime Minister has announced a second national lockdown for England. You can view the full speech here. In summary, the lockdown came into effect at 00.01 Thursday 5th November for 4 weeks - so until 2 December 2020. After the four weeks, the Government will seek to ease restrictions, going back into the tiered system on a local and a regional basis according to the latest data and trends.
Key points from his speech are:
- The public must stay at home from Thursday, only leaving home for specific reasons, including:
- For education
- For work, say if you cannot work from home
- For exercise and recreation outdoors, with your household or on your own with one person from another household
- For medical reasons, appointments and to escape injury or harm
- To shop for food and essentials
- To provide care for vulnerable people, or as a volunteer.
- Workplaces should stay open where people can’t work from home – for example in the construction or manufacturing sectors.
- Single adult households can still form exclusive support bubbles with one other household, and children will still be able to move between homes if their parents are separated. There is also a new guidance page on gov.uk on the changes in England.
The Government has ordered certain businesses and venues to close, including:
- All non-essential retail, including, but not limited to clothing and electronics stores, vehicle showrooms, travel agents, betting shops, auction houses, tailors, car washes, tobacco and vape shops.
- Indoor and outdoor leisure facilities such as bowling alleys, leisure centres and gyms, sports facilities including swimming pools, golf courses and driving ranges, dance studios, stables and riding centres, soft play facilities, climbing walls and climbing centres, archery and shooting ranges, water and theme parks,
- Entertainment venues such as theatres, concert halls, cinemas, museums and galleries, casinos, adult gaming centres and arcades, bingo halls, bowling alleys, concert halls, zoos and other animal attractions, botanical gardens
- Personal care facilities such as hair, beauty and nail salons, tattoo parlours, spas, massage parlours, body and skin piercing services, non-medical acupuncture, and tanning salons,
- Food shops, supermarkets, garden centres and certain other retailers providing essential goods and services can remain open. Essential retail should follow COVID-secure guidelines to protect customers, visitors and workers.
- Non-essential retail can remain open for delivery to customers and click-and-collect.
- Playgrounds can remain open.
- Hospitality venues like restaurants, bars and pubs must close, but can still provide takeaway and delivery services.
- Hotels, hostels and other accommodation should only open for those who have to travel for work purposes and for a limited number of other exemptions
- Weddings, civil partnership ceremonies will not be permitted to take place except in exceptional circumstances.
A full list of the business closures is available here.
All non-essential travel by private or public transport should be avoided. Essential travel includes, but is not limited to - Essential shopping, Travelling to work where your workplace is open or you cannot work from home, Travelling to education and for caring responsibilities, Hospital GP and other medical appointments or visits where you have had an accident or are concerned about your health.
If your business has been forced to close as a result of new national coronavirus restrictions introduced on 5th November 2020 then you may qualify for grant support funding. The District Council will be administering this funding and full guidance and funding from the government is expected shortly.
To receive the funding, you must have been required to close by law and pay Business Rates.
A full list of businesses required to close by law is available on the Government’s website.
Qualifying businesses will receive the following amounts based on the rateable value of your business premises:
- For properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or under, grants to be £1,334 per four weeks
- For properties with a rateable value of over £15,000 and below £51,000, grants to be £2,000 per four weeks
- For properties with a rateable value of £51,000 or over grants to be £3,000 per four weeks
You may receive more than one grant if you have more than one qualifying business.
You will not qualify for funding if:
- You can continue to trade by law, but your business has been affected by the restrictions. (You may however qualify for Additional Restrictions Grant discretionary funding outlined below)
- If you have chosen to close but have not been required by law to do so
- If you do not pay Business Rates. You may qualify for Additional Restrictions Grant discretionary funding outlined below
- If your business has already received grant payments that equal the maximum levels of State aid permitted under the de minimis and the Covid-19 Temporary State Aid Framework
An online application for the Local Restrictions Support Grant will be available - hopefully early next week - here
The Government has announced an Additional Restrictions Grant scheme where Local Authorities will receive a one-off lump sum payment to be used for business support activities and the government envisage this will primarily take the form of discretionary grants. We understand that the council will be able determine how much funding to provide and which businesses to target. However, we are awaiting further detailed guidance due on the scheme next week and when that is made available, we will be able to establish a scheme for Malvern Hills businesses.
More information to follow.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was initially extended through November but following an announcement today by the chancellor will be extended to March 2021. Workers in any part of the UK can retain their job, even if their employer cannot afford to pay them, and be paid at least 80% of their salary up to £2500 a month. The flexibility of the current CJRS will be retained to allow employees to continue to work where they can. Employers small or large, charitable or non-profit are eligible and because more businesses will need to close, they will now be asked to pay just National Insurance and Pensions contributions for their staff during the month of November – making this more generous than support currently on offer. The Job Support Scheme will not be introduced until after Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme ends.
In recognition of the continued impact that coronavirus (COVID-19) has had on the self-employed the income support scheme has been extended.
The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme grant extension provides support to the self-employed in the form of 2 further grants, each available for 3-month periods covering November 2020 to January 2021 and February 2021 to April 2021.
Further details are available here.
The Inclusive Recovery Fund is a £4.75 million fund to help social entrepreneurs in England, designed to help social entrepreneurs deliver their important services and grow their impact while adapting to the challenges the Coronavirus crisis has presented
Applications for their Inclusive Recovery Fund are now available, until Friday 13th November.
The fund will offer grants between £10,000 and £500,000 to asset or mission-locked ventures, with an emphasis on ventures with ideas to accelerate their growth, build resilience and create a deep and lasting impact. Click here for more information.
If you are a trader affected by the new restrictions and are now providing takeaway, delivery of goods or click and collect service, please email the details to info@visitthemalverns.org for inclusion on our list.
We are encouraging all traders in our town centres to help us light up the high streets. If you have shop window and would a free box of fairy lights to put up, please email: Sophie.jackson@malvernhills.gov.uk
MHDC working with Nepeta Consulting are delivering a free webinar and Q&A outlining your options for an online shopping presence. With continuing restrictions to retail, many shops want to develop an online presence. There are a wealth of platforms to choose from and it can feel very confusing. This webinar will help you decide which platform is right for you and tell you what you need to do to move to online trading. It is suitable for any small business, charity or organisation who wants set up an online shop, or wants to improve an existing one.
The session will cover -
How online shops work
- There are more parallels with high street retail than you’d imagine. We show you how to use your retailing expertise to create a good online presence for your business.
How to sell
- A tour through the different ways of selling, from Amazon and eBay to sites like Etsy and on to creating your own shop.
Organising your shop
- Learn what information you need to provide for each product in your shop
- How to make the products attractive to your clients
- Discover how to set your shop to make it easy for customers to buy, and to buy more!
Payment mechanisms
- How to take payments online – the options available
- Linking up a payment system to your website
There will be an opportunity after the workshop to ask questions.
The webinar is taking place at 3pm on Friday 13 November. There are limited spaces available so to register your interest please book here now to avoid disappointment.
The UK has left the EU, and the transition period after Brexit comes to an end this year. Check the new rules from January 2021 and act now.
Click here to answer a few questions to get a personalised list of actions for you, your family, and your business. You can also sign up for emails to get updates when things change.
The UK will become a 3rd country to the EU27 members on 1 January 2021 and customs entry declarations and export and import paperwork will be required whether there is a deal or not. A virtual session will be run by Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce on Monday 9 November 10.00am-12.00pm and the topical session reviews where the UK and EU are today as we plan for the exit from the Transitional Arrangement at the end of 2020.
Limited fully funded places for Worcestershire Businesses Book your place here £75+VAT Members outside of Worcestershire / £95+VAT Non-members
On the 11th November at 4pm, WCC’s Low Carbon Opportunities Programme will be holding the second of three free-to-attend, one-hour webinars which aim to help Worcestershire SMEs launch or diversify into the low carbon goods and services market. The session will focus on identifying and examining the myriad of business opportunities in the low carbon market.
To book your place on this webinar click here
Here 2 Help are hosting webinars in November about Cyber Security, Growth beyond Covid-19 and Marketing to Survive Covid-19. For more information and to sign up click here.
Here 2 Help - Worcestershire County Council Free Technology Consultancy
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, WCC have set-up the Here 2 Help programme where expert advisers will offer flexible support in key areas to Worcestershire businesses to enable them to move forward and grow in the post-pandemic economy.
The cyber security team Cybx at borwell are providing the technology consultancy services for the Here 2 Help Programme. As well as the webinar on Cyber Security above the free technology consultancy includes –
1 Hour Advice Calls - Delivered through Zoom these will be 1-hour calls that you can book to ask a question you may have regarding your business’ technology. Alternatively, if you want some takeaway advice for your business from just a one-hour call, we can provide the below:
- IT Health Check
- Ask the Expert -Technology
Bespoke Technology for Business Consultancy - Bespoke, in-depth, one to one support directly linked to the strategic agenda of the business and to address more complex longer-term considerations which may require a shift in the business model and operations to build business resilience. Eligible Worcestershire Businesses may receive up to 6 days consultancy support in technology, at present this will be delivered remotely via Zoom.
Eligible applicants must be an SME, a limited company, a sole trader or partnership trading over 12 months and they must be in the following sectors: manufacturing (including science and medical, food and drink), information technology (cyber security, digital and creative), business and professional services, Agri-technology, construction or transport and logistics.
The Apprenticeship Bursary, funded by Malvern Hills District Council, offers apprentices the chance to claim:
- Maximum of £50 per month for up to 12 months for travel expenses
- One-off grant payment with a maximum value of £75 for clothing
- One-off grant payment with a maximum value of £100 for tools or equipment
The bursary is available to apprentices who live within the Malvern Hills District, receive a minimum wage salary, travel to or from a difficult to access location and can demonstrate the money has enabled them to take on the apprenticeship.
Chris Skilton, who is currently training for his Level 3 Infrastructure Technician course with LMPQ in Birmingham, said: "The bursary provided by Malvern Hills District Council has been an enormous help to me and my studies, allowing me to focus completely on my development without having to worry about the costs of travel. This year has provided many challenges, so having this peace of mind has been very reassuring"
To apply for the Apprenticeship Bursary and to find out more information. Please email Christine Butler, Economic Development Officer, at Christine.Butler@malvernhills.gov.uk or call 01684 862183.
Enterprising Worcestershire is a grant fund that has been designed to create new jobs or contribute to an increase in turnover in start-up and early stage enterprises. The first call is open and offers grants from £1000 up to a maximum of £15,000 providing 40% of the total cost of a project. The first call closes on 27 November 2020.
If you are a Worcestershire based business, and meet all the eligibility criteria below you may wish to apply for the Enterprising Worcestershire Grant Fund:
- Worcestershire based Small Medium Enterprises (SME’s)
- Trading for less than 36 months at the point of application
- Meet the De Minimis State Aid regulations
- Be trading at least 70% Business to Business
- Organisations must be able to provide evidence of the availability of funding for the project (60% provided by SME)
Some items such as recurring revenue costs are not eligible for grant funding.
For more information and to apply visit www.business-central.co.uk/eworcestershire
If you are not trading at least 70% Business to Business then you may be eligible for our Malvern Hills Enterprise Scheme instead - details are on our Grant and Funding page.
A new ‘Park That Bike’ scheme for Worcestershire businesses has been launched via www.parkthatbike.info providing free cycle racks.
The Park That Bike initiative provides a mechanism for local businesses to apply for funding to install cycle parking on their premises, to encourage utility cycling. Visit the website to see what is available to businesses in Worcestershire. As the current funding available within the scheme is limited, the intention is that WCC through its Active Travel funding will continue to work with partners to top up available funding over time so that all are able to benefit from this service.
Malvern-based D-RisQ has secured £360,000 to enable it to work with a wider range of businesses and develop its range of automated software tools. The investment from the Midlands Engine Investment Fund (MEIF) Equity Finance Fund, managed by Birmingham venture capital firm Midven will also enable the company to take on a number of new recruits over the next 18 months. Click here to read more
The Enabling Technologies team at the Knowledge Transfer Network is promoting a number of upcoming virtual events from looking at the use and application of electronics, sensors & photonics in a variety of sectors. For a full list of their upcoming events click here
In such uncertain times, many businesses have delayed investing in new staff who could help drive their business forward. In turn, this has left Worcestershire graduates facing considerable challenges in finding rewarding opportunities to kick start their careers. The Here2Help Business programme, run by Worcestershire County Council, aims to support eligible SMEs to recruit a local Graduate into a professional role by providing a graduate grant.
The Graduate Development Grant offers businesses access to the skills they need, whilst also providing graduates with high quality career opportunities. The grant provides up to 50% of a Graduate salary for a one-year period, to a maximum of £10,000, which is paid retrospectively on a quarterly basis. More details are available here
You can use the Kickstart Scheme to create new 6-month job placements for young people who are currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment. The placements should support participants to develop the skills and experience they need to find work after completing the scheme. Funding is available for 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, plus associated employer National Insurance contributions and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions. There is also £1,500 per job placement available for setup costs, support and training.
For organisations with fewer than 30 posts they must apply through a “representative organisation” and our main representative organisation is Worcester County Council, now an approved Kickstart portal. Referrals to them are made via Worcestershire Business Central info@business-central.co.uk or T 01905 677888
The ED team wants to fully understand the impact of the Coronavirus on specific businesses and the wider economy. This will help us tailor our service to you and feedback to Government to help shape their ongoing response.
If you would like to talk one-to-one with a member of the ED team about your business experience and effects of Covid-19, please email us with your contact details ecodev@malvernhills.gov.uk
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