East Suffolk Council
Covid-19 business grants
On 21 December 2021, central Government announced the introduction of grant support to hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses, in recognition that the rise of the Omicron variant means that some businesses are likely to struggle over the coming weeks.
This support will take the form of a one-off grant and is payable to businesses on the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) ratings list only (known as Business Rates or Non-Domestic Rates).
This scheme has now closed and all final payments must be made and disbursed to recipients by 31 March 2022.
The following thresholds apply for these businesses:
| Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list on 30 December 2021 with: | One-off grant value |
|---|---|
|
A rateable value of exactly £15,000 or under |
£2,667 |
|
A rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000 |
£4,000 |
|
A rateable value of exactly £51,000 or over |
£6,000 |
The primary principle of the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme is to support businesses that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premises, in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors. An indicative list of businesses that fall into scope is provided below:
| Support type | Types of businesses | |
|---|---|---|
|
Hospitality |
Food courts Public houses/pub restaurants Restaurants |
Roadside restaurants Wine bars Cafés |
|
Leisure |
Casinos and gambling clubs Cinemas Museums and art galleries Stately homes & historic houses Theatres Zoos & safari parks Amusement parks Wedding venues Events venues Night clubs & discotheques |
Arenas Concert halls Tourist attractions Theme parks Amusement arcades Soft play centres or areas Clubs & institutions Village halls & scout huts, cadet huts, etc. |
|
Accommodation |
Caravan parks Caravan sites and pitches Chalet parks Coaching inns Country house hotels Guest houses Hostels Hotels Lodge |
Holiday apartments, Cottages or bungalows Campsites Boarding houses Canal boats or other vessels B&Bs Catered holiday homes Holiday homes |
Businesses will only be eligible where their main service falls within hospitality, leisure or accommodation. If a business operates services that could be considered hospitality or leisure, and also fall into another category, the main service can be determined by assessing which category constitutes 50% or more of their overall income.
Businesses applying for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme that have received government grants exceeding £335,000 within the last three years must complete a subsidy allowance declaration and email it to Covid19businessgrants@eastsuffolk.gov.uk.
Additional Restrictions Grant Scheme top-up
The Government also announced a funding top up to the Additional Restrictions Grant scheme for businesses severely affected by the rise of the Omicron variant but which are not eligible for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant. Each local authority has been allocated funding to disburse to local businesses.
The East Suffolk Additional Restrictions Grant scheme (ESARG) is now closed.
- Hospitality or Leisure businesses in shared business units and without a business rates account
- Hospitality or Leisure businesses that provide services to outdoor events that are not eligible for other grants
- Bed and Breakfast Businesses
- Travel Agents and Tour Operators
The one-off grants range from £1,000 to £6,000.
Businesses from other sectors that can show they have been severely affected by the Omicron variant
Due to the limited funding available we will model the scheme for this group and determine the amount of grant to be paid AFTER all the applications have been received and the priority groups have been assessed. No grants will be paid to applicants in this group before 28 February.
- Your business was trading on 30 December 2021
- Your business can show that it has been severely impacted by the Omicron variety
- Your business is not one of the excluded business types.
The ARG scheme is now closed.
For help or assistance with either of these grant schemes: