National and discretionary business support grants
Last updated: 26 November at 15:23
On Saturday 31 October, the government announced new lockdown measures which would come into effect from 5 November. They have now provided funding to support businesses that are required to close due to the restrictions being put in place.
There are two parts to the grants scheme package.
Local Restrictions Support Grant
These grants are for businesses with a rateable value (RV) that have been forced to close under the latest lockdown measures. See the full list of businesses required to close in England.
The rate at which these grants will be paid is set in line with the RV of the business premises as follows:
- RV of £15,000 or under - grants of £1,334 per 28-day qualifying restriction period
- RV of between £15,001 and £51,000 - grants of £2,000 per 28-day qualifying restriction period
- RV of £51,001 or over - grants of £3,000 per 28-day qualifying restriction period
Although some businesses are allowed to resume trading from Wednesday 2 December (previously 3 December), businesses that are eligible for the Local Restrictions Support Grant will still receive a grant payment to cover the period from Thursday 5 November up to and including Wednesday 2 December inclusive.
If you are planning to reopen on 2 December, you will still be eligible for support from this scheme.
Additional Restrictions Grant (Discretionary)
This funding is available for business closures; where companies are not covered under the Local Restrictions Support Grant, but have significant fixed costs which are not related to employment.
It is also available for businesses that have not been forced to close but have been significantly affected by business closures caused by national restrictions that came into force on 5 November 2020.
How to apply
To make it easier to apply, there is one application form for both grants. The answers you give will decide which grant scheme applies to your business.
Before you start, you may want to see the full business grants policy, which includes eligibility criteria and the appeals process.
When you've submitted your application, you'll get a confirmation email.
Support after lockdown during Tier 3 restrictions
It has been announced that Kent will be under Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions when the national lockdown ends on Wednesday 2 December 2020.
There will be grant schemes available to support businesses that are forced to remain closed during Tier 3 restrictions, and we are working on the application process for this at the moment. However, due to the terms of the schemes, we are unable to make any payments for these grants before mid-December at the very earliest.
An application will be available in mid-December to apply for support during the Tier 3 restrictions. You can sign up for updates on business grants.