A FURTHER group of businesses and charities will be able to apply for funding aimed at helping those whose finances have been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic.
Leicester City Council received £3.5million from the Government’s Discretionary Business Grants scheme, to enable non-repayable grants to be paid to some businesses and charities which are struggling to survive due to a significant loss of income and on-going fixed property costs.
The first round of applications closed at the end of June, with about £900,000 paid out to 120 city businesses and charities under the scheme. Applications for the second round of funding can be made from Friday, July 31, until Friday, August 14.
Applications are invited from small and micro-businesses and charities in shared offices or other flexible workspaces which have relatively high ongoing fixed property-related costs, and which can demonstrate they’ve suffered an income fall of at least 40% due to the pandemic. Grants will be between £2,000 and £7,000 per business, depending on the number of eligible applications that will share the funding available.
Charities and manufacturers occupying premises with a rateable value of between £15,000 and £51,000 may also be eligible for a grant of £2,000 per business.
Eligible businesses and charities must not have received certain other Government grants, including a Small Business Grant, a Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant, or a first round discretionary grant.
The Discretionary Business Grants scheme was the second form of financial help made available to businesses in the city.
The much larger Small Business Grant and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant schemes, launched back in April, has paid £71million of grants of £10,000 or £25,000 to more than 6,000 businesses and charities across the city. These schemes will also close on Friday,14 August.
Details of all coronavirus-related help for businesses, including all the funding schemes, is available at Leicester City Council's website at: www.leicester.gov.uk/coronavirus
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