Latest Coronavirus business support information

Guides
There is now guidance available for employers, employees and the self-employed to help understand how to work safely during Coronavirus.

There are eight guides covering a range of types of work.

Case study
View this short video to see how Brighton Gin have adapted to work safely during lockdown.  

BEIS 'Working safely' webinars
The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) will be hosting a series of free webinars to help businesses make their workplace 'Coronavirus-secure'.

The webinars cover a range of workplace settings that are currently allowed to be open. Webinars begin on Wednesday 27 May and will run untill Tuesday 2 June.

Find out more and sign up

Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme
The recently announced Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme will go live from Tuesday 26 May.

The new online service will be for small and medium-sized employers,, with fewer than 250 employees, to recover Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) payments they have made to their employees.

Employers will receive repayments at the relevant rate of SSP that they have paid to current or former employees for eligible periods of sickness starting on or after 13 March 2020. View the full guidance

Payment deferral or de-register from money laundering supervision due to Coronavirus
Check if you can get a payment deferral or de-register if you are a business with an annual fee due between 1 May and 30 September 2020. Find out more

Legionella risks during the Coronavirus outbreak
Employers, the self-employed and people in control of premises, such as landlords, have a duty to identify and control risks associated with Legionella. Find out more

6 Commons start-up mistakes
Sifted has published an interesting article by Kevin R Smith, founder and chief executive of Boom & Partners about six big mistakes start-ups make - and how to avoid them. Find out more

New Smart grants

The next application round for Innovate UK Smart grants opens on 28 May 2020 and closes on 26 August 2020.

The grants are an opportunity to apply for a share of up to £25 million to deliver ambitious or disruptive R&D innovations that can make a significant impact on the UK economy. Find out more

Apply for the Coronavirus Future Fund

The Future Fund will provide UK Government loans to UK-based companies ranging from £125,000 to £5 million, subject to at least equal match funding from private investors. The fund will be open for applications from Wednesday 20 May 2020.
Find out more

The Solent Jobs Fuse

The Solent Jobs Fuse is a new service helping those whose jobs have been affected by Coronavirus in the local area get back into employment, as well as supporting local employers to fill gaps in their staffing due to the pandemic and to support any staff facing redundancy.

The service is a joint partnership created by the National Careers Service and Solent LEP. 
Find out more

Free 'Lockdown to Liftoff' planning workshop
Business Doctors and CVK Solutions have teamed up to offer technical businesses based in the Wessex area, the chance to take part in a fully funded online Lockdown to Liftoff planning workshop.

The cost of the workshop and toolkit would normally be £500, however we are offering the workshop for free.

As this is a workshop with full engagement and peer group interaction and learning, places on each are limited to 10 business owners. Find out more and register

Know your style and get more done as part of a happy remote team
Knowing your personality and behaviour style and having an awareness of those of others can help teams communicate and work more effectively and happily together, even when they are apart. 

Barclays Eagle Lab are hosting an event to help you know your style and get more done as part of a happy remote team.

Tuesday 26 May 2020 | 3 - 4pm
Find out more and register

We have published further information for businesses, including more about grants, on our Coronavirus business support web pages.

Local business support helpline
We have a dedicated Southampton business support line which you can call on 023 8083 4300

National business support helpline
The Business Support Helpline number in England has changed to freephone 0800 998 1098. The helpline provides free, impartial business support and signposting services to businesses in England which currently includes business advice on Coronavirus.