Trafford Council launches new grant scheme for small businesses affected by Covid restrictions

Businesses that have not qualified for the government’s most recent round of Covid support packages are now invited to apply for discretionary grants via a new fund.

Businesses in shared workspaces that do not pay business rates and have been adversely affected by local Tier 2 and Tier 3 restrictions and the most recent national lockdown may be eligible for a one-off grant of £2,000 from the Council’s Additional Restrictions Grant (Discretionary) Scheme.

The scheme launches today (Friday 27 November) and has been designed to help some of the businesses most severely affected by government restrictions

Applications will be considered both from businesses forced to close due to lockdown restrictions and those that have been able to open but are struggling because of a fall in trade.

Full details of how to apply and the eligibility criteria can be found on the Trafford Council website

Cllr Tom Ross, Trafford Council’s Executive member for Finance and Governance, said:

"Up to 30 September, we have paid out 354 grants at a total cost of £2.38m, providing vital support to small businesses across the borough.

We have been working hard to get this new scheme set up so that we can once again assist small businesses as we all navigate the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic and the impact of a series of local and national lockdowns.

Applying for a grant is straightforward and I would urge small businesses to check the eligibility criteria and get their applications in to the Council as soon as possible so we can process them quickly and deliver the support they need.”

Posted on Friday 27th November 2020