South Cambridgeshire District Council is currently administering two business support grants. One is the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG) and the second is the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG). The deadline to apply for both grants, previously in February, has now been extended until Friday 11 March 2022 to give local businesses more time to apply. Payments will then be made by 31 March 2022.
Leading Councillors are encouraging local businesses in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors to closely check the eligibility criteria at www.scambs.gov.uk/omicron-grants and then apply if they are eligible. Businesses affected by the emergence of the Omicron variant of Coronavirus are being encouraged to find out more. This includes those impacted by the ongoing fear of Omicron and could include hotels, pubs, restaurants and bed and breakfasts. Those who supply the hospitality and leisure industry with services, such as those working in events, mobile catering, hairdressing and private fitness classes should also check to see if they are eligible.
Since the middle of January 2022, a total of £611,355 in Government funding has been paid out to 175 South Cambridgeshire businesses under the OHLG scheme. £151,000 in Government funding has been distributed to 44 local companies under the ARG scheme.
Cllr Peter McDonald, South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Lead Cabinet Member for Business Recovery and Skills, said: “If you run a local business that is in the leisure, hospitality or accommodation sectors, or supply a product or service to these industries, please check if you are eligible for these grants now. All the eligibility criteria are at www.scambs.gov.uk/omicron-grants and we don’t want any local business to miss out. You could be a business with fixed costs you can clearly show – such as rent, stock, vehicle costs, advertising or marketing. You could have had appointments cancelled or fewer bookings than usual for the time of year. Perhaps consumer nervousness about Omicron meant your business took a financial hit. If any of this sounds like it could relate to your hospitality, leisure or accommodation business then I urge you to visit our website, read the eligibility criteria and apply now. You now only have around one month to make your application.”
Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant
The OHLG is targeted at businesses within the hospitality and leisure sector which were trading as registered Business Rates payers in South Cambridgeshire on 30 December 2021. These businesses could be eligible for a one-off payment because the rise of the Omicron variant led to severe impacts on their industry. Grants of up to £6,000 are available, depending on the rateable value of each business. Businesses in hospitality, leisure and tourism accommodation sectors, who offer in-person services (like food and drink, experiences and lodging for holiday purposes) are being encouraged to check the full eligibility criteria online to see whether they are eligible to apply. Eligible businesses should apply for these grants by 11 March 2022. Payments will be made by 31 March 2022.
Additional Restrictions Grant
The Council has decided to make best use of the ARG funding from Government by providing support to eligible businesses that do not have a rateable value, and / or are ineligible to receive the OHLG, but nonetheless operate in, or are supply chain to businesses in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors. Businesses eligible to apply for the ARG should operate within:
Hospitality, leisure, accommodation, personal care, the travel and tourism sector including group travel, travel agents and tour operators, coach operators, wedding industries, nightclubs, theatres, events industries, wholesalers, English language schools, breweries, freelance and mobile businesses (including caterers, events, hair, beauty and wedding related) gyms, and other businesses that may not have received other grant funding.
Grants of up to £10,000 will be provided under the ARG, depending on turnover, fixed costs, number of employees and the scale of loses due to Omicron. Full eligibility criteria and an online application form can be found at www.scambs.gov.uk/omicron-grants and applications should be made 11 March 2022. Final payments will be made by 31 March 2022.
Since the start of the pandemic, the District Council has distributed a total of around £45 million in Government business support grants to more than 5,000 South Cambridgeshire businesses. Anyone needing advice relating to their business can contact the Council’s Business Support and Development team at openforbusiness@scambs.gov.uk or visit www.scambs.gov.uk/business