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Statement from The Leader of the Council, Councillor Mike Steptoe and Managing Director, Shaun Scrutton - June 1 2020
The bulletin for 1st June 2020 from the Leader of Rochford District Council, Cllr Mike Steptoe, and MD Shaun Scrutton is now available. Please note in particular, the following headings relevant to business:
Business Grants Scheme
The Council has now paid out £16.85m to 1,448 businesses in the Rochford district, which is 92% of the £18.4m total originally allocated by Government.
Rochford District Discretionary Business Grants Scheme
A new discretionary grants scheme is available for local businesses not previously covered by earlier schemes. The scheme went live at 12 noon yesterday.
The Council has been allocated £900,000 in government funding to support specific businesses and charities who have been impacted by COVID-19, but were not eligible for either the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund or the Small Business Grant Fund.
The Council will prioritise which types of businesses will receive funding and determine the level of award taking account of the level of income reduction due to COVID-19 and the size of the business.
Grants of up to £10,000 are available for local businesses who are urged to apply before the scheme ends at midnight Sunday 14th June, with applicants needing to meet the following eligibility criteria:
*Businesses with ongoing fixed property-related costs
*Businesses which can demonstrate that they have suffered a significant fall in income due to the COVID-19 crisis
*Small or micro- businesses as defined by the Company Act 2006
*Businesses that were trading on 11 March 2020.
*Businesses which occupy property, or part of a property, with a rateable value or annual rent or annual mortgage payments below £51,000.
The following businesses will be prioritised for grants:
Small businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces (examples could include units in industrial parks, science parks and incubators which do not have their own business rates assessment)
Regular market traders with fixed building costs, such as rent, who do not have their own business rates assessment and who are trading in Rochford District on a weekly basis.
Bed & Breakfast businesses which pay Council Tax instead of business rates
Charity properties in receipt of charitable business rates relief which would otherwise have been eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rate Relief
This grant funding is for businesses that are not eligible for other support schemes, with the exception of the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Businesses which have received cash grants from any other central Government COVID-19 related scheme are ineligible for funding from the Discretionary Grants Fund. Companies that are in administration, are insolvent or where a striking-off notice has been made are not eligible for funding under this scheme.
Grants will be capped at £10,000, with the majority of awards between the levels of £2,000 and £5,000.
To find out if your business might meet the full eligibility requirements visit www.rochford.gov.uk/DiscretionaryGrants.
HMRC
Self-Employment Income Support Scheme
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme
Information for farmers, landowners and rural businesses
Helping businesses to recover and thrive
BEST Growth Hub are hosting a series of webinars for retail businesses. The first webinar in the series covers a number of essential topics, including ensuring businesses are safe for customers and employees. It also looks at operating safely, applying social distancing measures to businesses and looking at what will drive sales going forward. A key aspect for businesses at this time will be demonstrating (and communicating) to customers that businesses are safe, have the goods customers want to buy and that businesses are open and ready to serve them.
Topics and themes include:
Hygiene and safety for staff and customers
Operating the business; space, stock and service
Making it easy for customers
Informing and engaging with customers
Implementation actions
On Thursday 4th June, 18:00 - 19:00.
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