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Coronavirus: £4.5m business grant scheme launched
Shropshire Council has today launched its £4.5million ‘Top Up’ grant scheme in support of businesses who have been unable to access COVID-19 related business grants to date. The grants are now live and are targeting those businesses who weren’t eligible for the small business and retail, leisure and hospitality grants.
It seeks to prioritise those who are based in locations where no business rate payment is made directly to Government, via Shropshire Council.
The Government has prioritised the following sectors, so the first round of this competitive funding round is now open exclusively for these businesses and will close at 23.59pm on Sunday 7 June 2020.
- Small businesses in shared offices or flexible workspaces(such as units in industrial parks and incubators) which do not have their own business rates assessment. Grant funding available of 2,500 per business in office accommodation (B1), up to 10,000 if located in industrial / warehouse facility (B2 & B8).
- Regular market traderswith fixed building costs, such as rent, who do not have their own business rates assessment. Grant funding of 2,500 per trader.
- Bed & Breakfastswhich pay Council Tax instead of business rates. Grant funding of 2,500 available for businesses operating premises with less than 6 beds, which is the expected number to pay Council Tax.
- Charities that are based in commercial propertiesin receipt of charitable business rates relief which has not been eligible for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure grant can apply for 5,000 grant funding.
Businesses are encouraged to apply as soon as possible, as we will have to manage the limited funds on a first come first served basis.
After that time it is hoped there will be further competitive funding rounds over a period of 4 weeks that will each be open for 7 days but these further rounds are reliant on unallocated funding being available, so cannot be guaranteed.
This time, unlike the main small business and retail, hospitality and leisure grants, the scheme is competitive, and asks businesses to evidence their losses and provide proof of their eligibility to the fund. Businesses must apply to the scheme, regardless of whether they have expressed an interest ahead of the scheme’s launch, to ensure a transparent and fair process takes place.
Operating the scheme this way ensures that businesses hear quickly if they have been successful and their application has been approved, ideally receiving the funds into their business bank accounts within a week of the funding round being closed.
Link to the application form
Link to the terms and conditions
