 We have now paid the latest instalment of the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) Closed Addendum scheme, in addition to the one-off Closed Business lockdown payment to over 1000 businesses. If you have previously received an LRSG Closed Addendum payment, are expecting a new payment and haven't received it by Monday 25 January, please get in touch.
If you haven't previously applied for an LRSG Closed Addendum payment, you can apply on our website.
Applications for the Christmas Support Payment for wet-led pubs close on Sunday 31 January, so make sure you've applied if you are eligible.
Remember - if you haven't applied for funding from the last few months, you still can. But don't delay - many schemes now have a closing date of March 31.
We will also be reopening the Additional Restrictions Grant soon for another round of funding, for the period from 5 November 2020 to 4 January 2021. Separate application windows will be opened for subsequent restriction periods imposed including the national lockdown starting 5 January 2021.
If you have any questions please call our business support helpline, Monday to Friday on 023 9284 1641.
 Lots of people in Portsmouth have gone the extra mile to help others during the pandemic. We want to celebrate their ongoing contribution to the city with the Coronavirus Civic Awards. From healthcare workers and teachers, to supermarket staff, local businesses, community volunteers and kind neighbours, the awards will recognise the exceptional effort they've made to support others. Nominations close 12 February.
Email lordmayorsoffice@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call 07958 352228 to request a nomination form.
 Portsmouth’s contemporary art gallery Aspex has secured the support of Arts Council England for a series of new commissions and projects planned to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The programme will enable the gallery to continue to deliver art and participatory activities online and locally through these ongoing uncertain times, along with support for the wider cultural ecology with £53,000 of the total £84,422 grant to provide artists and creative freelancers with essential paid opportunities.
The grant from Arts Council England will also provide the financial support needed to Bring Back the Southsea Dinosaur! The long-awaited tribute to Luna Park by Heather and Ivan Morison will be realised this summer - following the successful crowdfunding campaign in 2020, when 147 supporters and the council raised over £10,000 to kickstart the fundraising for a bronze and augmented reality version of the much loved dinosaur.
 The Shaping Portsmouth conference will be held on 29 January 2021. Rather than bringing everyone together at Portsmouth Guildhall, this year the conference is going digital.
The line-up will include updates from Shaping CEO Stef Nienaltowski and our deputy leader Cllr Steve Pitt as well as a panel discussion on business led by our Economic Growth Manager, Mark Pembleton.
There will also be the Shaping Awards and opportunities to network.
Tickets are £6.
To mark International Women's Day, the annual Pamodzi Inspirational Women Awards returns to celebrate individuals who make a positive impact within their communities, whatever the context.
This year there will be more community focused nominations as well as a broad range of categories including an opportunity to nominate inspiring women in business category.
Nominations close on Friday 4 February. The award event will be launched online on Sunday, March 7 to coincide with International Women’s Day on March 8.
 Businesses in the south east have received a total of over £8.8bn in funding under the government’s two largest Covid-19 loan schemes, the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS). These provide financial support to businesses across the UK that are losing revenue, and seeing their cashflow disrupted, as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Nearly 200,000 loans worth over £6bn have been offered in the south east under the Bounce Bank Loan Scheme, and over 11,000 loans worth over £2.8bn under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.
The Future Fund Scheme and the Business Interruption Loan Schemes for large and small businesses and the Bounce Back Loan scheme have all been extended until 31 March 2021.
 The Department for Education has launched ‘An Hour to Skill’ campaign which aims to encourage employers and the nation to set aside just one hour a week for online learning by taking a free course from The Skills Toolkit.
These online courses aim to enhance individuals’ job prospects, giving them easy access to skills that could unlock job opportunities in a competitive market, or help them get ahead in their current role. The Skills Toolkit features more than 70 courses designed by some of the nation’s leading businesses and educational institutions including Amazon Web Services, Cisco, FutureLearn, Lloyds Bank, LinkedIn Learning, Microsoft, The Open University and many more.
The courses form part of the government’s Plan for Jobs, which aims to help boost the UK economy as it recovers from the impact of COVID-19.
The Deutsche Bank Awards for Creative Enterprise (DBACE) are open to visionary creative entrepreneurs between the ages of 18-30 who are driven by a mission to create and sustain social value through their enterprise.
DBACE aims to reach ambitious individuals from all backgrounds with ideas that will improve the lives of others and the communities we live in.
The prize package is designed to give you everything you need to power up your idea or existing business so that you can take it to the next level. The awards are open to people aged 18-30 years old who have a strong strong idea or an existing business in the creative industries and want to create positive social impact through their enterprise.
Applications close on March 31.
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