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<p>The Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund is aimed at small businesses with
ongoing fixed property-related costs that are not liable for business rates or rates
reliefs.</p><p> </p><p>Local authorities are responsible for defining the precise
eligibility for this Fund and may choose to make payments to other businesses based
on local economic need, subject to those businesses meeting the specific eligibility
criteria.</p><p> </p><p>We are asking local authorities to prioritise the following
types of businesses for grants from within this funding pot:</p><ul><li>Small businesses
in shared offices or other flexible workspaces. Examples could include units in industrial
parks, science parks, and incubators which do not have their own business rates assessment.</li><li>Regular
market traders with fixed building costs, such as rent, who do not have their own
business rates assessment.</li><li>Bed & breakfasts which pay Council Tax instead
of business rates.</li><li>Charity properties in receipt of Charitable Rate Relief,
which would otherwise have been eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural
Rate Relief.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Businesses already in receipt of the Small Business
grant or a Retail, Hospitality and Leisure grant are not eligible for this fund. Businesses
who are eligible for or in receipt of the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme are
now eligible to apply for this scheme.</p><p> </p><p>There is currently no plan to
change eligibility criteria for this scheme. Officials are keeping in close contact
with local authorities to monitor the progress of the scheme.</p><p> </p><p>Guidance
for Local Authorities was published 13 May: <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-business-support-grant-funding"
target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-business-support-grant-funding</a>.</p>
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