We understand grants from the various covid schemes are starting to be paid out by the city council. Full details of the various grants available may be found here https://www.bristol.gov.uk/business-support-advice/covid-19-information-for-businesses but the below is an extract from the council website summarises the situation.
Also below is a request for assistance from a local bank seeking to improve services for small businesses - please find a link to find a short survey asking how they can better serve the interests of small local businesses.
The BID holds its first board meeting of the year on Tuesday at 6pm - if you are interested in attending or have any ideas you think the BID should be pursuing currently the please do get in touch - business@bedminster.org.uk. We will make a full update of all BID current plans and activities after that meeting.
Many thanks.
Covid Business Support Grants
Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum January 2021
A grant of up to £4,500 for businesses that are registered for business rates and were required to close during the national lockdown from 5 January to 15 February 2021.
Closed Business Lockdown Payment (CBLP)
A one-off lockdown payment, paid in addition to LRSG (Closed) Addendum (January 2021) as follows:
£4,000 for businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or under
£6,000 for businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000
£9,000 for businesses with a rateable value of over £51,000
Additional funding is also being made available for Local Authorities to support other businesses affected by restrictions that might not be eligible for the grants. Read the full announcement on GOV.UK.
Local Restrictions Support grant schemes
The existing schemes will continue to support businesses that have been impacted by lockdown and tier restrictions. Businesses should apply once per premises. We’ll assess your application for all grant schemes that are relevant to you:
Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum (November 2020), a grant of up to £3,000 for businesses that are registered for business rates and were required to close during the national lockdown from 5 November to 1 December 2020
Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum (January 2021), a grant of up to £4,500 for businesses that are registered for business rates and were required to close during the national lockdown from 5 January to 15 February 2021
Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed), a grant of up to £1,500 per 14 day period for businesses that are registered for business rates and which have been required to close during Tier 3 restrictions
Local Restrictions Support Grant (Sector), a grant of up to £3,000 per 28-day period effective from 1 November 2020 for businesses such as nightclubs that were required to close on a national basis since 23 March 2020
Pub Support (Christmas Support Payment), a one-off payment for December of £1,000 to pubs where less than 50% of the income is derived from food: you must apply by 31 January 2021 to qualify
Discretionary schemes
The LRSG (Open) and the Additional Restrictions Grant are discretionary funds which that will be available to businesses that are impacted by the restrictions but not required to close or are not eligible for other support. We're working on this and will update this page when the application process is open.
Other loans and grants you can apply for
Bounce Back Loans scheme (GOV.UK), government-backed loans of £2,000 to £50,000 for small and medium businesses, interest free for 12 months
COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility, help for large businesses through the purchase of their short-term debt (GOV.UK)
National Lottery Community Fund, for organisations supporting people and communities affected by COVID-19
Use the business support finder on GOV.UK to see what support is available for your business.
Avon Mutual Small Business Banking Survey
“We all know how frustrating banks can be – whether its offering rip off deals, closing branches, or saying “the computer says no” we’ve all had our fair share of reasons to pull our hair out over our banking provider.
“But what if banks could be different? What would it mean for a bank to genuinely serve small businesses, to be your partner, to help you through a pandemic, and to support your growth on the other side? At Avon Mutual we’re building a better type of bank, one that is focused on SMEs and Sole Traders, and which only serves Bristol and the West of England, so we can really get to know you and your business and provide a genuinely useful and relevant service.
“We’re keen to hear what banks can do better, and what you would want to see from a local, ethical bank. Can you spare a few minutes to tell us your opinions? Please click here to respond to our short, anonymous, and secure survey.