Grants for businesses

SMALL businesses are being invited to apply for a share of a £1.9 million fund rom South Oxfordshire District Council.

Grant applications opened last week following the Government’s decision to provide a source of funding to those who were previously ineligible for help.

The discretionary business fund is designed to support businesses which have suffered a significant loss of income due to coronavirus and those with high ongoing property costs.

To apply, businesses must have been trading on March 11. The deadline is noon on Wednesday.

The fund will prioritise small businesses in shared offices, which do not have their own business rates assessment. It will also help charity properties in receipt of charitable business rates relief, which would otherwise have been eligible for small business rates relief or rural rate relief.

The council says the fund will only provide enough meaningful support for a very small percentage of eligible businesses. It will assess the applications and try to identify those most in need.

Successful businesses will be provided with an acceptance letter, which they will need to sign and return before the payments can be made.

The grants will be subject to tax for businesses that make an overall profit once the grant income is included.

For more information, visit svbs.co.uk/top-up-scheme

Business owners with questions should email
business.support@southand
vale.gov.uk