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Our officers Joseph Holmes, Gabrielle Mancini and Councillor Ross Mackinnon have recorded a 20 minute business webinar to explain and discuss the West Berkshire Council budget for 2021-22.
They explore the extent to which Covid-19 has impacted upon our budget; along with giving key updates in areas such as capital investments, revenue, business rates, and grant schemes.
Some highlights include:
- Our £123 million capital investment strategy
- £500k of Community Infrastructure Levy distributed to community groups through funding bids
- Revenue budget and council tax proposal of +1.99%. Less than the 4.99% maximum increase allowable this year
- Business rates bills to be distributed after the Budget announcement on Wednesday, 3 March
Watch the recorded webinar here
£1,000 - £5,000 grants for SME's to implement carbon reduction technologies
 Your business could be eligible for a grant for 1/3 of the cost of energy efficiency upgrade measures which reduce your carbon footprint.
Low Carbon Work Spaces is a not-for-profit organisation tasked with delivering European Regional Development Fund grants to SMEs in Berkshire. The grant is designed to drastically improve the affordability of low carbon solutions for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), by covering 1/3 of the cost of upgrades.
The maximum grant is £5k. This means that a £15k project would cost you just £10k, and a £3k project just £2k.
Applying for the grant is a quick and easy process. You simply fill in an application form and seek a free supplier quotation from a pre-approved list. You will receive a decision in just 5 days, and reimbursements for the work in less than 30 days.
This is a fantastic opportunity for businesses in a position to look past the pandemic and to investments in the future.
Read more and apply now
 If your business is suffering from slow internet speeds you could benefit from the Government's Rural Gigabit Voucher Scheme and claim a voucher of up to £3,500 towards the cost of installing fibre connectivity.
Eligibility
To qualify for a business voucher you will be asked to self-certify that you meet the European Commission definition of an SME whereby your business:
- Has up to 249 employees (in total in the organisation) and turnover no greater than €50m per annum, and/or
- A balance sheet of no more than €43m
- Can self-certify that you have received less than €200k in public grants in the last 3 years – the de minimis limit.
- Can provide evidence of your status as a SME or sole trader.
Find out more information and check your eligibility through a postcode search
Thanks for reading! The West Berkshire Business Newsletter will be back with regular bulletins.
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