Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund

Coronavirus: Advice for Businesses

For details on the Small Business Grant and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant please see our business rates relief page. The next phases of the Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund launched on Wednesday 24th June.

For an overview of what support and grants are available to business, including details of business rate reliefs, please see our Coronavirus advice page.

The Council has issued more information on those businesses which must close and guidance for those who need to make planning alterations or have licensing queries.

Coronavirus support and advice

The Government is making additional funding available to allow us to further support Small Business. This money is in addition to the Small Business Grants Funds and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund already available to businesses.

There is a limited amount of funding available for businesses. Applications will be processed on a first come first served basis. The closing date for applications is at midnight on Sunday 12th July 2020.

The grant is prioritised for these types of business that are based and trading within East Staffordshire

Small or Micro businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces with high fixed property-related costs who can demonstrate that they have suffered from a significant fall in income due to COVID-19. Examples could include units in industrial parks, science parks and incubators which do not have their own business rates assessment

Small/Micro businesses are defined within the Government guidance which has also confirmed that property related costs do not include property costs for an applicant’s residence, therefore homeworkers are excluded from applying for the grant.

Small/micro businesses without a business rates assessment that occupy a whole space.
Small/micro businesses with a business rates assessment with a rateable value between £15k and £51k.
Regular Market and Street traders that trade and have fixed building costs in relation to their business within East Staffordshire, such as rent, who do not have their own business rates assessment.
Bed & Breakfasts which pay Council Tax instead of business rates ('Air Bnb’ businesses are excluded from applying for this grant)
Charity properties in receipt of charitable business rates relief which would otherwise have been eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rate Relief. Charities must trade in East Staffordshire and must not be part of, associated with or affiliated to any other Charities, including national Charities.

Only businesses that were trading on 11^th March are eligible to apply for this grant.

This grant funding is for businesses that are not eligible for other support schemes, such as:

Grant Name	Adminstered by
Small Business Grant Fund	(administered by ESBC)
Retail, Hospitality & Leisure Grant Fund	(administered by ESBC)
The Fisheries Response Fund	(administered by Marine Management Organisation)
Domestic Seafood Supply Scheme	(administered by Marine Management Organisation)
The Zoos Support Fund	(administered by DEFRA)
The Dairy Hardship Fund	(administered by DEFRA, AHDB, Scottish Govt, Welsh Govt, Northern Ireland Executive, and Dairy UK)

Businesses that are eligible for the Self-employed Income Support Scheme are entitled to also apply for this grant.

Grants of £10,000 will be awarded by East Staffordshire Borough Council from this fund.