More than £18m given to back businesses

More than £18m given to back businesses

St Helens Borough businesses have now been handed more than £18m in grants.

In total St Helens Council has paid £18.65m to eligible businesses. That means more than 1,600 businesses have been given funding of between £10,000 and £25,000 to help support them through this period of uncertainty.

This includes bars, restaurants, small businesses and shops who have benefitted from either a Small Business Fund Grant of £10,000 or a Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant of either £10,000 or £25,000.

To qualify businesses must be liable for business rates as at 11 March 2020 and receive either small business rate relief or eligible to receive the extended retail, hospitality and leisure relief announced by the government.

You can find out more about the eligibility along with more information for businesses at St Helens Council’s website: www.sthelens.gov.uk/coronavirus.

Councillor Martin Bond, Cabinet member for Finance, said: “Our team have acted swiftly to try and get as many grants processed as quickly as possible. Their hard work has seen more than 50 per cent of businesses estimated to be eligible for funding already paid out and the team have now processed most of the claims we have received.

“We want to make sure that businesses get funding as quickly as possible because we know for many this will make some difference in helping to ease the huge burden they have faced with many forced to close temporarily.

“We’ve seen a drop in the volume of applications so it’s important that businesses check on whether they are eligible and if so get in touch to get your support. Once we have dealt with all enquiries our team will be contacting eligible businesses again to claim the grant.”

To find out more about the grants or business rate relief including who it applies to visit www.sthelens.gov.uk/coronavirus and click on the business and employers page for more information or email CovidBusinessGrant@sthelens.gov.uk

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