The Government has announced a range of financial support grants to help businesses impacted during local and national lockdowns.
The Local restrictions Support Grants (LRSG) will give financial aid to businesses that have that have had to close due to the current national lockdown, or have been unable able to open since the initial lockdown period.
Grant payments are available to support (Manchester businesses only):
- Nightclubs, dance halls, and discos and sexual entertainment venues and hostess bars which have been required to close since 23 March 2020. (Grant payments are effective from 1 November and will not be backdated).
- Businesses required to close due to Manchester being placed in Local COVID Alert Level: Very High (Tier 3) from 23 October until 4 November 2020. This includes pubs, bars, casinos, adult gaming establishments, betting shops and soft play centres.
- Businesses required to close due to national lockdown restrictions from 5 November until 2 December 2020. This includes the business affected by the Tier 3 restrictions as well as all non-essential retail, hospitality venues, accommodation, leisure and sports facilities, entertainment venues, personal care facilities, community centres and places of worship.
Grants will be paid at the following rates:
- For properties with a rateable value of £15k or under, grants of £1,334 will be paid for every 28-day qualifying restriction period
- For properties with a rateable value of over £15k and below £51k, grants of £2,000 will be paid for every 28-day qualifying restriction period
- For properties with a rateable value of £51k or over, grants of £3,000 will be paid for every 28-day qualifying restriction period
What businesses are eligible?
To qualify, businesses must have been required by Government to close as part of the either local restrictions or national lockdown.
Business that are not forced to close under the new restrictions will not be eligible for the scheme.
View the eligibility criteria and apply for a grant
A discretionary scheme will be made available for businesses who fall outside the remit of the eligibility criteria. Further detail will be released shortly.
Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “Businesses need this kind of support to be given a fighting chance of surviving lockdown restrictions – and we need to be doing everything we can, with as much Government support as possible to make sure businesses can weather this storm.
“Let’s not forget, some industries have been unable to open at all since March and without the necessary financial support package our towns and cities are going to feel very different once we come out the other end of the global pandemic.
“As we enter another period of national lockdown, I’d urge businesses to take a serious look at the support grants available. Help is there to provide financial assistance where it’s needed.”
