Cambridge City Council has set out the details of its latest Additional Business Support (ABS) Grants Scheme for January to mid-February (up to £4,500 per eligible business premises), alongside a one-off Cambridge Supplement payment (up to £9,000).
These are for businesses located within the city that do not come within the government’s national grant scheme (the Local Restrictions Support Grant Scheme).
The Additional Business Support Grant Scheme for the third national lockdown is available to:
- Non rate-paying businesses renting premises in Cambridge that are required to close during the national lockdown;
- Other businesses in commercial premises in Cambridge that are still allowed to operate but, even so, are still severely impacted;
- Businesses run from domestic premises in Cambridge; and
- Market and street traders operating in Cambridge.
Those businesses that have already applied and qualified for ABS grants from the second national lockdown last November do not need to reapply. They will be sent their six‑week Additional Business Support grant for the third national lockdown and their one-off Cambridge Supplement payments soon.
Applications from businesses just seeking a grant from the start of the third national lockdown can be made from today (Wednesday 3 February 2021).
Cllr Mike Davey, Executive Councillor for Finance and Resources, said: “In these challenging times for businesses, I am pleased that the local grants for the third national lockdown will help make it easier for them to weather the storm.
“Since the start of the pandemic, the council has distributed millions of pounds in grants. The local scheme helps those parts of Cambridge economy that the national schemes do not reach. Our commitment to supporting local businesses continues.”
The council has already provided government-funded grants via national and local schemes during the first lockdown in spring 2020 as well as the second national lockdown in November and the Tier 2 and Tier 4 restrictions in December.
Payments up to mid-February 2021 have already been made under the national scheme to rate-paying business in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors required to close during the third national lockdown.
For details, see www.cambridge.gov.uk/coronavirus-information-for-businesses.