Further grant support available for Tameside businesses

Funding is available for eligible small local businesses with high property costs and a loss of income due to Covid-19 through Round 2 of the Tameside Discretionary Grant Fund.

Following a successful first round of funding allocations, applications to the Discretionary Grant Fund Round 2 will be open from 5pm 25 June.

The fund was announced by the government in early May and is aimed at small businesses which did not qualify for the Small Business Grant (SBG) or the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant (RHLG) because they were liable for business rates or failed to meet the other criteria.

Government guidance issued on 13 and 22 May 2020 has given Tameside Council some discretion when allocating grants, so they can be issued based on local insight and economic need.

Central government made £2.3m in funding available to the council for this scheme and the money will be used to support as many businesses as possible through mainly grant allocations of up to £10,000* (grants of £25,000 will be made only in exceptional circumstances).

So that all eligible businesses will have the opportunity to apply for the scheme, the council have allocated the funds in 2 rounds.. Round 1 was open for two weeks and closed on 18 June. The council has approximately £1,682,250 of funding available for round 2 following the completion of round 1.

Round 2 is open to businesses in the following categories:

·      Manufacturing and engineering companies

·      Digital and creative

·      Childcare (nursery) providers·

– Construction

·      Registered charities not supported under the government set priority criteria 

Tameside Council is awaiting government guidance on the categories of business below. However, businesses which fall within these categories and satisfy the scheme’s criteria should register their interest through the application form but do not need to upload any evidence. Further evidence will be requested to provide eligibility.

 Micro or small businesses awaiting Valuation Office assessment which were not eligible for the RHLG or SBRR grants subject to Government guidance

Businesses which were trading before 11 March but not in their current premises or a new owner has taken over the operation (contractually obliged to do so) subject to Government guidance

Tameside businesses should check the full local guidance https://www.tameside.gov.uk/discretionarygrantfund before applying to check eligibility and all the details of the scheme.

The timeline for round 2 of the scheme is:

• Applications open – 5pm Thursday 25 June.
• Applications close – 5pm Thursday 9 July
• Payment of grants – 9 July onwards

Cllr Oliver Ryan, Tameside Council Executive Member for Finance and Economic Growth, said: “Through the Tameside Discretionary Grant Fund we can provide financial support for businesses across the borough which weren’t eligible for the Small Business Grant or the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant. The pandemic has been a challenging time for our local economy but it’s been fantastic to see such resilience and community spirit from businesses.

“I encourage businesses to apply for this funding from today so we can begin allocating the funds to eligible businesses. Round 1 was a big success and I’m pleased we can now move to round 2 further supporting our local economy and businesses”

Applications for the grant can be made online by visiting https://www.tameside.gov.uk/discretionarygrantfund. Businesses are encouraged to check the guidance and ensure they have the correct evidence before making their application. Anyone unable to apply online should email tamesidegrant@tameside.gov.uk or call 0161 342 8355 to request an emailed or printed copy.