COVID-19 business grants updates
The Government has announced Restart Grants, a grant scheme which will provide one-off payments.
Please do not contact us in relation to the above as we are working towards issuing payments as quickly as possible and as such we may not be able to respond to your query.
Different government grants have been made available during the coronavirus pandemic in order to:
- provide support for different business sectors
- provide cover during different time periods
- respond to the varied local and national restrictions which have been in place
You may be eligible for more than one of the available grants which have been made available during the course of the pandemic.
As some grant schemes have now been open for some time, the vast majority of businesses do not need to take any further action; If you've already applied for a grant under the first national lockdown or since the Tier system was introduced, we will still have your application details and will automatically make any further payments which may be due.
Therefore, if you've been awarded a grant since November 2020, please don’t contact us – we'll contact you as soon as possible.
See details of current and previous business grants:
Visit GOV.UK for further advice or financial assistance.
Current COVID-19 business grants
See further information about grants which are open to current applications:
Restart Grants
The Government has announced the Restart Grants, a further grant scheme which will provide one-off payments.
The scheme will provide grants as follows:
- non-essential retail businesses will receive grants of up to £6,000 per premises
- qualifying hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or less, will receive a one-off grant of £8,000
- qualifying hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000, will receive a one-off grant of £12,000
- qualifying hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value of £51,000 or above, will receive a one-off grant of £18,000
Please do not contact us in relation to the Restart Grant as we are working towards issuing payments as quickly as possible and as such we may not be able to respond to your query.
Current COVID-19 business grants
Lockdown Restrictions Grant
The Lockdown Restriction Grant is for businesses forced to close by law under the period of national lockdown, from 5 January 2021 to 15 February 2021 and 16 February 2021 to 31 March 2021.
During the 2021 lockdown period a grant to cover the initial 42 day period and a further grant will be paid for the further 44 day period, to each eligible business. The grant amounts will be fixed. Businesses with more than 1 qualifying property will receive more than 1 grant.
This grant scheme was also available under the previous national lockdown period, from 5 November to 2 December 2020.
Please note, if you applied and received payment under the previous Lockdown Restrictions Grant scheme which was in place from 5 November to 2 December 2020 or for the period 5 January 2021 to 15 February 2021, we'll use data from your previous application to make further payments, and you don't need to re-apply.
If you have ceased trading before the 15 February 2021, you will not be entitled to a repeat payment for after this period.
Apply for a Lockdown Restrictions Grant
This grant is also known as 'Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) - Addendum (Lockdown)'. Please note, "Closed" does not relate to the status of the grant itself.
Current COVID-19 business grants
Additional Restrictions Grant
The Additional Restrictions Grant relates to the periods of;
- 5 November 2020 to 2 December 2020
- 31 December 2020 to 4 January 2021
- 5 January 2021 to 15 February 2021
- 16 February 2021 to 31 March 2021
This grant scheme covers the periods of national restrictions, as well as the period when York was under 'Tier 3: Very High Alert' local restrictions.
This discretionary scheme is to support York businesses affected by the lockdowns, which were not eligible for the Lockdown Restrictions Grant and the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed Businesses) payments; it can help businesses which, whilst not legally required to close, were still severely impacted by COVID-19 restrictions.
The Additional Restrictions Grant scheme was reviewed on 18 January 2021 and the decision was made that non-York residents could qualify for the scheme providing that applicants also meet the other qualifying criteria. Those other criteria include:
- conducting 75% of trade in York
- trade affected by 75% or more as a result of lockdown restrictions
The scheme was further reviewed on the 25 February 2021 and it was agreed that the scheme would be extended until 31 March 2021.
Please note that if you've already received an Additional Restrictions Grant payment, we'll automatically make another payment for any new periods if applicable.
Find out more about the Additional Restrictions Grant
If you haven’t yet applied for the Additional Restrictions Grant, all new applications will be considered for:
- the initial lockdown period, 5 November to 2 December 2020
- periods when York was under Tier 3 local restrictions 31 December 2020 to 4 January 2021
- the current lockdown period from 5 January 2021 onwards and up to 31 March 2021
Where possible we will make combined payments.
Additional Restrictions Grant restart funding
We're using the remaining funds from the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) to make further, final payments to businesses from this week (week commencing 19 April 2021).
We're continuing to ensure that Government money goes out as quickly as possible to York’s small and micro businesses.
Businesses that have already received ARG payments will be automatically paid.
The amount that eligible businesses will receive is dependent on:
- size of business
- business premises
- where a business or dependent businesses can reopen in line with the roadmap
Payment amounts are as follows.
For businesses which reopened at Step 2 (such as non-essential retail, personal care)
11 days payment (1 April to 11 April):
- with no fixed premises costs: £396
- with rateable value less than £15,000: £724
- with rateable value £15,000 to £51,000: £986
- with rateable value above £51,000: £1,379
For businesses reopening at Step 3 (such as leisure, hospitality, taxis)
46 days payment (1 Apr to 16 May):
- with no fixed premises costs: £821
- with rateable value less than £15,000: £2,192
- with rateable value £15,000 to £51,000: £3,286
- with rateable value above £51,000: £4,929
For businesses reopening at Step 4 (such as international travel)
81 days payment (1 Apr to 21 June):
- with no fixed premises costs: £1,446
- with rateable value less than £15,000: £3,859
- with rateable value £15,000 to £51,000: £5,786
- with rateable value above £51,000: £8,679
At present, this is the only new grant funding that has been announced for businesses.
Current COVID-19 business grants
Closed COVID-19 business grants
The following COVID-19 business grant schemes have now been closed by the Government, strictly no further payments can be made from these grant schemes.
If you made an application under any of these applications and are still awaiting a decision, or if you disagree with a decision, you should contact the Business Rates Team.
You can appeal within 14 days of the date on your decision notice by email to business.rates@york.gov.uk.
See further information about:
- Small Business Grant Fund
- Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant
- Christmas support payment for Wet-led pubs
- Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open Businesses)
- Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed Businesses)
- Sector Support Grant
Small Business Grant Fund
The Small Business Grant Fund was part of the York Small Business Grant Fund application process, which closed on Friday 28 August 2020.
Closed COVID-19 business grants
Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant
The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant fund was part of the York Small Business Grant Fund application process, which closed on Friday 28 August 2020.
Closed COVID-19 business grants
Christmas Support Payment for Wet-Led Pubs
Public houses may have been entitled to this grant on top of the other available local restrictions support grants. The grant scheme closed for applications on Sunday 28 February 2021.
Closed COVID-19 business grants
Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open Businesses)
The Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open Businesses) grant closed on Wednesday 21 March 2021.
Closed COVID-19 business grants
Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed Businesses)
The Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed Businesses) was for businesses that had been mandated to close by law from 2 December 2020. This grant scheme was closed on Wednesday 21 March 2021.
Closed COVID-19 business grants
Sector Support Grant
The Sector Support Grant was available for several periods has now been closed on Wednesday 21 March 2021.
Closed COVID-19 business grants