Trafford Council is continuing to support more small businesses through lockdown by extending one of its special grants schemes.
The Council has updated the eligibility criteria for the Additional Restrictions Grant Scheme to include businesses which have not received funding through the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) schemes. The local authority is also increasing the level of payments to new applicants and businesses which have already received payment.
The First round of the Trafford Discretionary (Additional Restrictions) Grant Fund launched in November 2020 to offer a one-off £2,000 payment to businesses hit by Tier 2 and 3 restrictions and the lockdown. The authority will continue to accept applications from Trafford-based companies which meet the eligibility criteria for Round 1 and is increasing payments to £2,000 per month from 20 October, 2020. Applicants who have already received their payment will receive ‘top–up’ payments.
The Council has now launched Round 2 of the Fund which aims to support businesses which supply the leisure, hospitality, accommodation and personal care sectors with payment of £2,000 per month for the same period. 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:
“Since the beginning of Covid and thought the various lockdowns, we have so far paid out £48m to local businesses which have been badly hit and forced to shut. Yet again we are in another lockdown and yet again businesses need our help.
I am delighted that businesses that fell between the cracks for government funding the last time are now eligible to apply. The leisure, hospitality, accommodation and personal care sectors have been really badly hit by the lockdowns and deserve out support.
Applying for a grant is straightforward and I would urge small supply chain 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.”
Round 2 of the Fund will provide support to eligible businesses that pay business rates and have fixed property costs. The Council will continue to automatically make further payments to businesses in the hotel, hospitality and leisure sectors who have previously been awarded local restrictions support grants. Any business which already been awarded a Local Restrictions Support grant need not need reapply.
The government’s announcement of the £4.6 billion in new lockdown grants for closed businesses earlier this week has also been welcomed and the Council eagerly awaits the guidance expected early next week so it can start making payments as soon as possible. It is anticipated that all businesses who have already received a LRSG need not reapply but more details will be made available on the Council’s website once the guidance is published.
Posted on Friday 8th January 2021