Tameside Council is urging local businesses to apply for their share of the coronavirus grant funding available from central government which the local authority is distributing locally.
Businesses that are the main rate payer of business rates can be eligible for grant support of between £10,000 and £25,000 and may miss out on vital financial support if they do not apply by the end of April.
Cllr Oliver Ryan, Tameside Council Executive Member for Finance and Economic Growth, said:
“Our business rates team have been diligently working to process applications and have now payed out £22 million of funding to over 2,000 local firms. We have redeployed staff and everyone in the team have been incredible in dealing with the applications as fast as possible having now processed and payed out 81% of those received.
However, over 40% of eligible businesses in the borough are yet to apply and we’re encouraging them to get in touch as soon as possible so we can allocate these funds accordingly. This is a challenging time for our local economy and our businesses here in Tameside are very much at the heart of our communities.
We have written to all businesses but please do get in touch with our business rates team if you think you may be eligible for support during the pandemic.”
There are two types of grant funding available;
• The Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF) will provide businesses with a grant of £10,000 to help support them during the Covid-19 crisis. This grant is for businesses, with a property, that as of 11 March 2020, were in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rates Relief.
• The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF) will offer businesses in these sectors across Greater Manchester a grant of up to £25,000. This grant is for businesses in those sectors with a rateable value of less than £51,000 and who would have been eligible for the Expanded Retail Discount Scheme. For businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or less the grant will be £10,000. For businesses with a rateable value of £15,000-£51,000 the grant will be £25,000.
Businesses need to apply via Tameside Council’s business rates service. For further information visit www.tameside.gov.uk/
Business advisors at the Growth Company Business Growth Hub are also working extended hours to support businesses and individuals. Visit www.businessgrowthhub.com/
National support is available via Government initiatives to support businesses during the coronavirus crisis. www.gov.uk/coronavirus/