 Applications opened last week for the Omicron Additional Restrictions Grant (Omi ARG). This grant is designed to give support to all Portsmouth businesses that have been severely impacted by the Omicron variant, including those outside of the business rates system.
The Omi ARG is a one-of grant of between £400 and £6000 for eligible businesses. Grants will be awarded based on the fixed costs of the business and according to a scale which relates to the extent of the business's reduction in income in December 2021.
Applications must be submitted by noon on Friday 18th February 2022. For more information call our Business Helpline on 023 9284 1641 or apply online.
 Fawcett Road in Southsea has been the focus of a range of street improvements. We have worked with Priory School pupils to design new eye-catching lamppost banners that are now lining the street. The children's designs were inspired by American pop-artist Robert Indiana, famous for the iconic 'Love' image. These designs are also the inspiration behind the new gateway signs that will soon be installed to complete the fresh new look.
Over the past few months, planters have been installed on the street filled with a variety of bee-friendly plants, with the support of Wilder Portsmouth and Bramble Infant School and Nursery.
The new look has also included planting new trees as well as creating space for pedestrians to pass and people to linger outside Baffled Coffee. Bins and lampposts have been repainted in British racing green, and 12 new cycle parking hoops installed along the street.
 As part of Solent LEP's support for the Southampton UK City of Culture 2025 bid, all those working in the creative industries are invited to an event on Wednesday 9 March which champions the sector in all its forms across the Solent region.
The virtual event will open with keynote speaker Caroline Norbury, founder and CEO of Creative England and the CEO of the Creative Industries Federation. This will be followed by panel discussions and workshops, with opportunities to ask questions and discuss a range of topics affecting the industry including diversity, accessibility, skills, business support, and promoting an environment in which the creative industries can flourish.
The creative industries are the fastest growing part of the UK economy, growing at 5 times the rate of the UK economy as a whole and employing more than 2 million people. The UK’s creative industries are not only economically successful, but an integral part of our cultural identity.
9 March - online
 Covid drastically changed shopping habits. Lockdowns, isolation and illness led variously to panic buying, a surge in online deliveries, and some impulse purchases.
But what about the challenges coming next?
Rising inflation, higher energy bills, stagnant wages and tax rises have led to 2022 already being described as the “year of the squeeze”, which could leave households on average £1,200 worse off.
Dr Jason Sit, Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Portsmouth looks at how consumers may react more negatively to these economic events, and how retailers from many sectors can mitigate some of this change – with benefits for customers as well as the companies themselves.
 Portsmouth schools may benefit from extra funding after the city was identified as one of 55 education ‘cold spots’ earmarked for levelling up. The government announced that it has identified a number of places in England, including Portsmouth, where it plans to boost education opportunities as part of the levelling-up agenda.
These areas, where education outcomes are weakest, will be targeted for support and teachers could be offered a ‘levelling-up premium’ to improve retention.
Education bosses across Portsmouth say they are hopeful about the plans in the education section of the Levelling-Up White Paper - but are keen to hear more detail about what this really means for the area.
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