Around 4,000 Plymouth businesses can now request financial support to help get them through the current uncertainties created by COVID-19.
Plymouth City Council has written to all businesses eligible to receive grants so they can urgently access financial help as soon as possible – with the ambition of making most payments within two weeks.
The Small Business Grant Fund and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund, announced by the Government as part of a £330 billion package of support, offer one-off grants to a number of businesses:
• Any business currently in receipt of Small Business Rate Relief will be eligible for a £10,000 grant.
• Any retail, hospitality or leisure business in receipt of Expanded RetailDiscount with a rateable value of less than £51,000 will be eligible for a grant per property based on eligibility criteria below:
• Any retail, hospitality or leisure business with a rateable value of £15,000 or below will be eligible for a £10,000 grant.
• Any retail, hospitality or leisure business with a rateable value above £15,000 and below £51,000 will be eligible for a £25,000 grant.
Letters have been sent directly to business premises, but anyone who is not able to access their business or who hasn’t received a letter but thinks they are eligible can now contact a dedicated helpline for more information. Find out more at investplymouth.co.uk/business-grants.
In addition to the grants, all retail, hospitality, leisure and nursery businesses in England will receive a 100 per cent business rates holiday for the next 12 months. The council is also deferring all other business rates payments for two months, enabling businesses to pay their normal bills over 10 months rather than 12. All bills will be reissued before payment is due in June 2020.
For more business advice and support, the Invest Plymouth website is being
regularly updated with key information, useful resources and details of financial
support available. Access all the latest information at investplymouth.co.uk/covid-19.
