Local authority administered grant schemes for businesses in response to the Coronavirus pandemic
Support for businesses that pay little or no business rates
The government will provide additional Small Business Grant Scheme funding for local authorities to support small businesses that already pay little or no business rates because of Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR), Rural Rate Relief (RRR) and tapered relief. This will provide a one-off grant of £10,000 to eligible businesses to help meet their ongoing business costs.
Eligibility
You are eligible if:
- your business is based in England
- you are a small business and already receive SBRR and/or RRR
- you are a business that occupies property
How to access the scheme
Please see the spreadsheet below.
Any enquiries on eligibility for, or provision of, the reliefs and grants should be directed to the relevant local authority.
Covid -19: Support for businesses that pay little or no business rates
Cash grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses
The Retail and Hospitality Grant Scheme provides businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors with a cash grant of up to £25,000 per property.
Businesses in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of up to £15,000 will receive a grant of £10,000.
Businesses in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of between £15,000 and less than £51,000 will receive a grant of £25,000.
Eligibility
You are eligible for the grant if:
- your business is based in England
- your business is in the retail, hospitality and/or leisure sector
- your business has a rateable value of under £51,000
Businesses that don’t pay business rates are not included in this scheme.
Properties that will benefit from the relief will be occupied hereditaments that are wholly or mainly being used:
- as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues
- for assembly and leisure
- as hotels, guest and boarding premises and self-catering accommodation
How to access the scheme
Please see the spreadsheet below.
Any enquiries on eligibility for, or provision of, the reliefs and grants should be directed to the relevant local authority.
Covid-19: Support for retail, hospitality and leisure business
The general rule of thumb is that you will be contacted by your local authority and should do nothing for the time being. *Some local authorities are now receiving applications direct, so please ensure you follow the relevant link for your authority (see below).
Our round up of information from local authorities across North West England
Information correct as at 26/03/2020
| Local Authority | Small business grant scheme | Retail and Hospitality Grant Scheme | Link |
| Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council | Applications should be made via their website. | Applications should be made via their website. | Blackburn Advice |
| Blackpool | You do not need to do anything. They will write to you if you are eligible for this grant. If the Council don’t have the bank details of the business they will send out the grant support by way of a cheque. Business’ have until Sunday 29th March to register their bank details with them. | You do not need to do anything. They will write to you if you are eligible for this grant. If the Council don’t have the bank details of the business they will send out the grant support by way of a cheque. Business’ have until Sunday 29th March to register their bank details with them. | Blackpool Advice |
| Burnley Council | Waiting on further details from the Government but once those are available they will be working with local businesses to help get them delivered. | Waiting on further details from the Government but once those are available they will be working with local businesses to help get them delivered. | Burnley Advice |
| Bury Council | Will identify eligible businesses and make payments in early April. Will contact businesses directly to confirm eligibility. Confirm your bank details online. | Will identify eligible businesses and make payments in early April. Will contact businesses directly to confirm eligibility. Confirm your bank details online. | Bury Advice |
| Chorley Council | No action required; they will be contacting everyone who is eligible directly as soon as possible | No action required; they will be contacting everyone who is eligible directly as soon as possible | Chorley Advice |
| Fylde Council | No specific information published. | No specific information published. | Fylde Advice |
| Halton Borough Council | Visitors directed to the Liverpool City Region Growth Platform at https://growthplatform.org/business-covid-19-advice/. This in turn advises that you will be contacted by your local authority. | Visitors directed to the Liverpool City Region Growth Platform at https://growthplatform.org/business-covid-19-advice/. This in turn advises that you will be contacted by your local authority. | Halton Borough Advice |
| Hyndburn | No information just links to UK Government site. | No information just links to UK Government site. | Hyndburn Advice |
| Knowsley | An online form is being developed and will be available soon – you will need your non-domestic rates (business rate) account number to apply. Applications can ONLY be made online. | An online form is being developed and will be available soon – you will need your non-domestic rates (business rate) account number to apply. Applications can ONLY be made online | Knowsley Advice |
| Lancaster City Council | Will pay a £2,500 advance on grants from 25 March 2020 with the balance being paid when the council receive funds from government. Apply online now. | No specific information. | Lancaster Advice Apply for grant |
| Liverpool City Council | It is hoped the funds will be available from April and they are waiting for further clarity on how this will be managed. | It is hoped the funds will be available from April and they are waiting for further clarity on how this will be managed. | Liverpool Advice |
| Manchester City Council | Expecting further government guidance and funding before the end of March. As soon as they get this, they will take action. Where they can, they will award any relief direct to the account. | Expecting further government guidance and funding before the end of March. As soon as they get this, they will take action. Where they can, they will award any relief direct to the account. | Manchester Advice |
| Oldham Council | Awaiting government guidance. Businesses will be contacted directly by the Council. | Businesses will be updated about the process for claiming this support as soon as possible. | Oldham Advice |
| Pendle Borough Council | Awaiting government guidance and will do all they can to make sure the support reaches qualifying local businesses as soon as they can. | Awaiting government guidance and will do all they can to make sure the support reaches qualifying local businesses as soon as they can. | Pendle Advice |
| Preston City Council | Fill in their form online to apply | Fill in their form online to apply | Preston Advice |
| Ribble Valley Borough Council | Are currently writing out to all businesses that may be eligible for this grant | Are currently writing out to all businesses that may be eligible for this grant | Ribble Valley Borough Advice |
| Rossendale Borough Council | No information just links to UK Government site. | No information just links to UK Government site | Rossendale Advice |
| Salford City Council | No information just links to UK Government site. | No information just links to UK Government site | Salford City Advice |
| Sefton Council | Detailed eligibility criteria and how the grants are to be paid has not yet been published. It is anticipated that businesses will not need to apply. | Detailed eligibility criteria and how the grants are to be paid has not yet been published. It is anticipated that businesses will not need to apply. | Sefton Advice |
| South Lakeland District Council | Fill in the online form to apply. | Fill in the online form to apply. | South Lakeland District Advice |
| South Ribble Borough Council | Will be contacting all eligible businesses to let them know how to claim the grant as soon as they have further information from government. | Will be contacting all eligible businesses to let them know how to claim the grant as soon as they have further information from government. | South Ribble Borough Advice |
| St Helens Council | Has written to relevant local businesses requesting information to help pay this grant. This form should have been received on or after 21 March to your business or correspondence address. Contact them if you haven’t received your letter. | No specific information | St Helens Advice |
| Stockport | Will start to make payments from the beginning of April. If you do not pay your business rates by Direct Debit or you qualify for small business rate relief, they do not hold any bank details for you. They will need you to confirm your business’s bank details in order to receive a payment. Please complete registration form confirming these details so that they can award you the grant. | Will start to make payments from the beginning of April. If you do not pay your business rates by Direct Debit or you qualify for small business rate relief, they do not hold any bank details for you. They will need to confirm your business’s bank details in order to receive a payment. Please complete registration form confirming these details so that they can award you the grant. | Stockport Advice Online E-form for grants |
| Trafford Council | Apply online for the grant. | Apply online for the grant. | Trafford Advice Apply for grant here |
| Warrington Borough Council | The Council is currently working on identifying which Businesses will qualify for the grants. To allow the Council to help get the grants to businesses quicker they need bank details. If you pay your business rates by BACS they already have your details and will use this account to pay you the grant. If the Council doesn’t have your details email businessrates@warrington.gov.uk with the subject “COVID-19 Grant payment”. They are working on this urgently and will be contacting ratepayers as soon as possible. | The Council is currently working on identifying which Businesses will qualify for the grants. To allow the Council to help get the grants to businesses quicker they need bank details. If you pay your business rates by BACS they already have your details and will use this account to pay you the grant. If the Council doesn’t have your details email businessrates@warrington.gov.uk with the subject “COVID-19 Grant payment”. They are working on this urgently and will be contacting ratepayers as soon as possible. | Warrington Advice |
| West Lancashire Borough Council | Fill in the online form to apply. | Fill in the online form to apply. | West Lancashire Borough Advice |
| Wigan | They will write to you if your business is eligible | They will write to you if your business is eligible | Wigan Advice |
| Wirral Council | If your business is eligible for SBRR or rural rate relief, you will be contacted by Wirral Council to advise on next steps. Government funding for the scheme is expected to be provided to local authorities in early April. | Waiting for Government guidance and, in the meantime, making every effort to put the mechanisms in place to enable payment of these grants to be as quickly and as simply as possible. | Wirral Advice |
| Wyre Council | The council will be contacting all businesses on their register who they believe may be entitled to funding encouraging them to complete their online form. | The council will be contacting all businesses on their register who they believe may be entitled to funding encouraging them to complete their online form. | Wyre Advice |
