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<p>The Government recognises that this is a very challenging time for businesses in
a wide variety of sectors. Small businesses occupying properties for retail, hospitality
or leisure purposes are likely to be particularly affected by COVID-19 due to their
reliance on customer footfall, and the fact that they are less likely than larger
businesses to have sufficient cash reserves to meet their high fixed property-related
costs. The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF) is intended to help
small businesses in this situation.</p><p> </p><p>Local Authorities (LAs) can choose
to make discretionary grants to businesses in supply chains, like the wholesale food
and drink sector, if they feel there is a particular local economic need. The Government
has allocated up to an additional £617 million to LAs to enable them to give discretionary
grants. While food and drink wholesalers are not one of the priority groups which
Government has asked LAs to focus on, LAs may choose to make payments to businesses
outside of these priority groups if they feel there is a local economic need to do
so, so long as the business was trading on 11th March, and has not received any other
cash grant funded by central Government (with the exception of grants from the SEISS).</p><p>
</p><p>Small businesses which are not eligible for business grants should still be
able to benefit from other elements of the Government’s unprecedented package of support.
The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses can
access the support that has been made available, who is eligible, when the schemes
open and how to apply - <a href="https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder</a>.</p>
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