Additional funding made available for businesses

Additional funding is being made available to support businesses and sole traders that have been directly impacted by the extended lockdown restrictions put in place by Welsh Government to control the spread of coronavirus.

The extension of the Restrictions Business Fund includes a single top up payment via the Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) grants for non-essential retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism businesses to cover the period from 25 January 2021 until 31 March 2021.

Some businesses that are ineligible for non-domestic rates grant will be able to apply to local authorities for a Discretionary Grant of up to £2,000. This will also cover the period to the end of March 2021.

Non-Domestic Rates (NDR) grants

Businesses that registered for and received a Restrictions Business Fund grant which covered the December 2020 and January 2021 period will receive an automated one-off payment of the relevant amount into their bank accounts in February.

Those businesses that are eligible for the NDR grant but did not receive it for the period December 2020 – January 2021 will need to apply with applications open on the Bridgend County Borough Council business support webpage from this afternoon (Wednesday, February 10).

To check whether your business will receive an automatic payment or whether you need to apply, visit the business support webpage on the council website this afternoon. You will need your rates reference number.

Non-essential retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism businesses in receipt of Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) and with a rateable value of £12,000 or less will be eligible for a £3,000 payment. Supply chain businesses qualifying for SBRR will also be eligible for this support if they have greater than 40% reduction in turnover during the restriction period.

Non-essential retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism businesses with a rateable value of between £12,001 and £51,000 will also be eligible for a £5,000 payment if impacted by the restrictions. Supply chain businesses in the same rateable value bracket will also be eligible for this support if they have greater than 40% reduction in turnover during the restriction period.

Non-essential retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism businesses with a rateable value of between £51,001 and £150,000 will also be eligible for a £5,000 payment if impacted by the restrictions. Supply chain businesses in the same rateable value bracket will also be eligible for this support if they have greater than 40% reduction in turnover during the restriction period. This grant includes a new category of businesses that occupy properties with rateable value of between £150,001 and £500,000.

Discretionary Grants

A discretionary grant of £2,000 is available to assist businesses that have been forced to close as a result of the national restrictions put in place.

The grant will also support businesses that estimate that the extended restrictions put in place will result in at least a 40% reduction in their turnover as compared to an equivalent restriction free trading period prior to 23 March 2020.

Businesses will need to submit an application to the fund via the local authority’s business support webpage from this afternoon (Wednesday, February 10).

Any applicants that started trading after 23 March 2020 will need to declare (and may be asked to demonstrate) a 40% reduction in turnover for an equivalent trading period since they commenced in business.

You are not eligible for this grant if:

• You are eligible for, or have received, the Restrictions Business Fund NDR Grant from your local authority
• If the business generates less than 50% of your income. The business must be your main source of income.
• You are eligible for a ‘top-up’ payment via the extended Freelancer Fund – more details will be made available on this later this week.
• The total amount of Covid-19 support grants you have received (including any further award through this discretionary fund) exceeds 80% our turnover for a typical year of trading.

Bridgend County Borough Council leader Huw David said: “This Welsh Government funding is here to support businesses and sole traders that have been directly impacted by the extended restrictions announced by the First Minister on 29 January.

“Hundreds of businesses across the county borough have received funding via the grant scheme and we urge any other eligible firms who haven’t already applied to do so. 

“It is an extremely anxious time for many businesses – with almost £40million having been administered to local businesses since the start of the pandemic, we continue to work quickly to ensure businesses receive these grants in the shortest timeframe possible.

“We kindly ask businesses not to contact the council to check on the progress of an application as it can delay the process.

“For more information about the support available to businesses, visit the council’s financial support webpage.”

Applications will be dealt with on a first come, first served basis. This may lead to applications not being appraised after they have been submitted if the fund is fully committed. Applicants will be notified of this by email.

Finalised grant applications will be processed within 30 working days of receipt.