Coronavirus latest Business news and updates for Plymouth businesses

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Plymouth business news

  12 April 2021


Please find below an overview of the latest business advice and guidance. In today's newsletter you will find news and updates including:

  • Applications for new Restart Grants now open
  • Further easing of Covid restrictions from today
  • Customer notice posters for shops and hospitality outlets
  • Plymouth goes to the polls on 6 May
  • Are your staff COVID vaccine clued up?
  • Devon businesses and residents urged to take advantage of SMART SKILLS
  • Launch of Recovery Loan Scheme
  • Virtual events/webinars

If you have any specific concerns or are in need of support, please contact us.


Applications for new Restart Grants are now open

Plymouth businesses will be able to apply for the new Restart Grants from today.

The Restart Grant scheme is designed to help rate-paying non-essential retail, hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses reopen safely, as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

Non-essential retail businesses will receive the following one-off payment based on their rateable value: 

  • For properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or under, a grant of £2,667
  • For properties with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000, a grant of £4,000
  • For properties with a rateable value of £51,000 or over, a grant of £6,000.

Hospitality, leisure, accommodation, personal care and gym businesses will receive the following one-off payment based on their rateable value:

  • For properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or under, a grant of £8,000
  • For properties with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000, a grant of £12,000
  • For properties with a rateable value of £51,000 or over, a grant of £18,000.

If a business falls into more than one category, the main service (and therefore grant amount) will be determined by assessing which category constitutes 50 per cent or more of their overall business.

Local businesses are now able to apply for their Restart Grant on the Plymouth City Council website. Applications will close on Wednesday 30 June 2021.

The Council is aiming to make grant payments to eligible businesses within two weeks of receiving their application.

Find out more here


Further easing of Covid restrictions from today

From today, Monday 12 April, additional premises will be able to reopen – with the rules on social contact applying. Indoor settings must only be visited alone or with household groups, with outdoor settings limited to either six people or two households.

This includes non-essential retail; personal care premises such as hairdressers, beauty and nail salons; and indoor leisure facilities such as gyms and spas (but not including saunas and steam rooms, which are due to open at Step 3).

Overnight stays away from home in England will be permitted and self-contained accommodation can also reopen, though must only be used by members of the same household or support bubble.

Public buildings such as libraries and community centres will also reopen.

The majority of outdoor settings and attractions can also reopen, including outdoor hospitality, zoos, theme parks, drive-in cinemas and drive-in performances events.

Hospitality venues will be able to open for outdoor service, with no requirement for a substantial meal to be served alongside alcohol, and no curfew. The requirement to eat and drink while seated will remain.

People should continue to work from home where they can, and minimise domestic travel where they can. International holidays are still illegal.

Plymouth City Council has put together a plan with Devon and Cornwall Police, Destination Plymouth, the City Centre Company and Plymouth Waterfront Partnership to prepare for the reopening of non-essential businesses from Monday and to help everyone stay safe.

Find out more here


Customer notice posters for shops and hospitality outlets

Plymouth City Council’s Licensing and Graphics teams and have created posters for shops and hospitality outlets to help get the messages out about the importance of keeping yourself and Plymouth safe and sound.

Download the A4 posters here:


Plymouth goes to the polls on 6 May

On Thursday 6 May, residents in Plymouth will have their say on who represents them in the local elections and the vote for the new Police and Crime Commissioner. In order to vote, you must be on the electoral register.

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 19 April.

If already on the register, then you may wish to register to vote by post. It’s easy and takes just five minutes to apply online.

Go to https://www.plymouth.gov.uk/votingandelections/registervote today.


Are your staff COVID vaccine clued up?

With the vaccination programme well underway, together with the NHS, we want to make sure that everyone in Plymouth has the information they need about the COVID-19 vaccine.

Therefore, the Council and NHS would like to offer large businesses bespoke virtual Q and A’s with vaccine health experts. The events would be organised with interested businesses – and promoted to their employees. Should you be interested, please email: Elinor.firth@plymouth.gov.uk

Alternatively, a city-wide event is being held on 14 April. Please promote this to your staff. Information here.


Devon businesses and residents urged to take advantage of SMART SKILLS

SMART SKILLS funding will help Devon based small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) businesses and other organisations to identify skills gaps in their existing workforce and provide the skills training they need to become more resilient during this economic crisis and beyond, the bid aims to support business now for the future. 

Contact the SMART SKILLS HUB team today on: 0800 97 55 11 (Option 6) or email them on SMARTSKILLS.HUB@cswgroup.co.uk

Find out more here


Launch of Recovery Loan Scheme

A new government-backed loan scheme has launched, to provide additional finance to those businesses that need it,

Businesses ranging from coffee shops and restaurants, to hairdressers and gyms can access loans varying in size from £25,000, up to a maximum of £10 million. Invoice and asset finance is available from £1,000,

The scheme, which was announced at budget and runs until 31 December 2021, will be administered by the British Business Bank, with loans available through a diverse network of accredited commercial lenders,

Find out more here


Virtual events/webinars

Latest inbound and domestic research and insights webinar

VisitEngland | Tuesday 13 April, 11am to 12.30pm

Join us for a session reviewing the latest data on domestic consumer sentiment, inbound prospects, and the latest wave of EU exit consumer sentiment post the end of the transition period.

This session will give you insights for both domestic and inbound markets and aid towards recovery.

Find out more here

 

Free to attend Virtual Bootcamp Jobs Fair

Train4Tomorrow | Tuesday 20 April,9am to 4pm.

Train4Tomorrow offers free, high quality, digital and technical training to adults in Devon, Plymouth, Somerset, Torbay, Cornwall and Dorset. The training is designed by industry employers to meet open and live vacancies. The programme helps local people advance their skills into growing sectors resilient to the current economic downturn. You can find out more about the programme at train4tomorrow.org.uk.

The first digital bootcamps are now concluding and we’re looking to connect local employers with the 750 highly skilled learners completing the bootcamps at a free-to-attend virtual digital jobs fair on April 20, from 9am to 4pm.

Find out more here 

 

WASP: 3D printing eco-homes with local clay

Smart Citizens | Thursday 29 April, 5.30pm to 7pm

How can you transform the world through 3D printing? Join the Smart Citizens' Sustainable Design Talk on 29 April to hear how WASP, Italy's pioneering specialists in 3D printing, are leading the sustainable housing revolution.

In this talk we'll hear how WASP are 3D printing incredible carbon-neutral homes using local clay, with the aim to tackle housing inequality and protect our natural resources. A talk not to be missed! Register for free.

Find out more here

 

For further information on the latest events, visit Invest Plymouth's event page.

If you have a Plymouth event you'd like promoted, you can submit your own events here.


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