COVID-19 Grant Schemes
Restart grants (now open for applications)
The government announced the Restart Grants scheme as part of the Budget on 3 May 2021. The scheme supports businesses in reopening safely as COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.
This support takes the form of a one-off grant applicable from 1 April 2021. The primary principle of the Restart Grant scheme is to support businesses that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate paying premises, in the relevant sectors.
Eligibility
- Payments will be made to the registered business ratepayer
- Businesses must have been trading on 1 April 2021 to be eligible to receive funding under this scheme.
- For the purposes of this scheme, the following is an indicator that a business is trading
- Carrying on a trade or profession
- Buying or selling goods or services to generate a turnover
- The business has staff on furlough
- Continues to trade online, via click and collect, etc.
- Engaged in business activity; managing accounts, preparing for reopening, planning and implementing COVID-safe measures
- Businesses will receive a grant for each business rated hereditament
- Businesses in liquidation, dissolved, struck off or subject to a striking off notice are not eligible
- Businesses that have already received grant payments that equal the maximum permitted subsidy allowances will not be eligible to receive funding
Grant payments
| Rateable value | Payment |
|---|---|
| Exactly £15,000 or under on 1 April 2021 | £2,667 |
| Over £15,000 and less than £51,000 on 1 April 2021 | £4,000 |
| Exactly £51,000 and over on 1 April 2021 | £6,000 |
The full government guidance, including examples of businesses that fall into each of the categories in Strands 1 and 2 can be found in the following guidance issued by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to Local Authorities in England:
Application process
If you have applied for a Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) or Additional Restrictions Grants previously, please DO NOT apply again, we will be in contact to collect any additional information required before 12 April.
In order for your grant payment to be processed as quickly as possible, please ensure you return any additional information requested promptly.
If you have not previously applied, please contact us at LRSG@haringey.gov.uk and an application form will be sent to you.
Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG)
The ARG scheme has now closed. Once all applications have been processed, we will be able to determine if there are any residual funds to further distribute.
In the 3 March Budget, further funding for this scheme was announced. The government has not provided details of funding the council will receive or any further guidance on how the scheme is to be applied. Once this information has been provided, further details will be published on this webpage.
Previous grant schemes (now closed for applications)
The previous grant schemes (for which you could apply up to 31 March 2021) are:
- National lockdown and Tier 4 grant schemes
- Local Restrictions Support Grant and Additional Restrictions Grant schemes
- Christmas Support Payment for wet-led pubs
National lockdown and Tier 4 grant schemes
These grants were available to support businesses impacted by Tier 4 restrictions and the current National lockdown (from 5 January 2021).
The National lockdown and Tier 4 grant schemes are:
- Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum
- Closed Business Lockdown Payment (CBLP)
- Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG)
Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum
For businesses that have been mandated to close during Tier 4 (20 December – 4 January) and the National lockdown (from 5 January).
This scheme is an extension of the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) (Closed) scheme but has been adapted for the new period of National lockdown. Eligibility criteria for the LRSG (Closed) Addendum will be the same as in the previous round of grants.
| Rateable value | Payment |
|---|---|
| Up to £15,000 | £667 per 14-day cycle |
| £15,001 to £50,999 | £1,000 per 14-day cycle |
| £51,000 and over | £1,500 per 14-day cycle |
| Rateable value | Payment |
|---|---|
| Up to £15,000 | Up to £2,001 per 42-day qualifying restriction period |
| £15,001 to £50,999 | Up to £3,000 per 42-day qualifying restriction period |
| £51,000 and over | Up to £4,500 per 42-day qualifying restriction period |
Closed Business Lockdown Payment (CBLP)
One-off top-up grant for all businesses mandated to close during the National lockdown.
Eligibility criteria for the CBLP will be the same as for the LRSG (Closed) Addendum.
| Rateable value | Payment |
|---|---|
| Up to £15,000 | £4,000 |
| £15,001 to £50,999 | £6,000 |
| £51,000 and over | £9,000 |
Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG)
Discretionary grants for businesses that are not legally required to close but have been severely impacted by restrictions.
New applications eligible for the Additional Restrictions Grant are currently on hold, but your application will be held on file until processing of these particular grants recommences.
Eligibility criteria for the ARG will be the same as in the previous round of grants.
Local Restrictions Support Grant and Additional Restrictions Grant schemes
General eligibility criteria:
- Businesses in administration, are insolvent or where a striking off notice has been made are ineligible
- Businesses operating from residential premises are ineligible
- Premises used solely for storage purposes are ineligible
- Only businesses located in Haringey are eligible
- Businesses had to have been a viable trading business the day before relevant restrictions came into force
Local Restrictions Grant Scheme (Open)
For businesses who have not been required to close but have been severely impacted by High or Very High (Tier 2 and Tier 3) restrictions and is aimed at hospitality, accommodation, and leisure businesses.
This scheme applies to the period the borough was in Tier 2 restrictions (16 October to 4 November and 2 December to 15 December) and from the 16 December.
Eligible businesses
Hospitality, Accommodation and Leisure businesses only will be eligible under this scheme. This is in accordance with businesses targeted in the guidance, and the basis on which the council funding allocation has been calculated by the Government.
- Only businesses registered on the business rates system will be eligible and payments will be made to the registered ratepayer
- Payments will be made for each eligible hereditament
| Rateable value | Payment |
|---|---|
| Up to £15,000 | Up to £467 per 14-day cycle |
| £15,001 to £50,999 | up to £700 per 14-day cycle |
| £51,000 and over | Up to £1,050 per 14-day cycle |
In the event application numbers exceed the funding allocation, grant payments will be pro-rated accordingly.
In the event application numbers are lower than the funding allocation, further decisions will be taken on the application of residual funds within the council’s proper procedures and in accordance with the approved scheme.
Additional Restrictions Grant
For businesses adversely impacted by National Restrictions (5 November to 2 December 2020 and 5 January to 15 February 2021), Very high (Tier 3) restrictions (16 December to 19 December 2020), and Tier 4 restrictions (20 December 2020 to 4 January 2021).
It can be used for business support activities, but this is expected to primarily take the form of discretionary grants.
Local authorities have been encouraged to develop schemes that help businesses not legally forced to close but are severely impacted by restrictions such as the Retail, Hospital and Leisure supply chain and the events sector.
Support can also be provided to businesses outside of the rates system which have been forced to close under restrictions.
This scheme applies to the period of National Restrictions (5 November to 2 December) and the period of Very High (Tier 3) restrictions commencing 16 December and any such period thereafter, as described above.
Eligible businesses
The following groups are eligible to apply under this scheme:
- Retail, hospitality and leisure supply chain and the events sector (registered ratepayers and non-ratepayers)
- Non-ratepayer businesses required to close
- In-person businesses not required to close but who are severely impacted by restrictions
For businesses registered on the business rates system, payments will be made to the registered ratepayer. For non-ratepayer businesses, payments will be made to the business owner.
Payments will be made for each eligible hereditament or premises.
If your main business activity has been required to close, but you have been able to operate as a takeaway, click and collect or delivery services, then you are considered to be closed (providing your main business activity prior to restrictions was not take away, click and collect or delivery based).
Grant payment levels
A higher level of grant is to be made to the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure supply chain and the events sector, in recognition that these businesses have not received any support through grants packages to date and of the impact of restrictions on these businesses.
| Rateable value | Payment |
|---|---|
| Up to £15,000 | Up to £2,500 |
| £15,001 to £50,999 | Up to £5,000 |
| £51,000 and over | Up to £7,500 |
For non-ratepayers, annual rent equivalent to rateable value banding will be applied.
For non-ratepayer businesses required to close, grants will be paid in line with the guidance for the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed businesses).
| Annual rent | Payment |
|---|---|
| Up to £15,000 | Up to £1,334 |
| £15,001 to £50,999 | Up to £2,000 |
| £51,000 and over | Up to £3,000 |
For in-person businesses not required to close but severely impacted, grants will be paid in line with guidance for the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open).
| Rateable value | Payment |
|---|---|
| Up to £15,000 | Up to £934 |
| £15,001 to £50,999 | Up to £1,400 |
| £51,000 and over | Up to £2,100 |
The payments detailed for the Additional Restrictions Grant are the total grant payments for the period 5 November to 1 December 2020. Additional payments will be made to eligible businesses for the periods described above and adjusted to reflect the number of days in each period.
In the event application numbers exceed the funding allocation, grant payments will be pro-rated accordingly.
In the event application numbers are lower than the funding allocation, further decisions will be taken on the application of residual funds within the council’s proper procedures and in accordance with the approved scheme. This will also include any decisions on the use of this fund for other business support activities.
Local Restrictions Support Grant (businesses required to close)
For businesses required to close under High or Very High (Tier 2 and Tier 3) restrictions.
Businesses required to close differ between the two levels of restriction and details can be found on GOV.UK (external link).
If your main business activity has been required to close, but you have been able to operate take away, click and collect or delivery services, then you are considered to be closed (providing your main business activity prior to restrictions was not take away, click and collect or delivery based).
This applies to the period the borough was in High Tier 2 restrictions (2 December to 15 December), and the period the borough is Very high Tier 3 restrictions (16 December onwards).
Grant levels
| Rateable value | Payment |
|---|---|
| Up to £15,000 | £667 per 14-day cycle. |
| £15,001 to £50,999 | £1,000 per 14-day cycle |
| £51,000 and over | £1,500 per 14-day cycle |
Christmas Support Payment for wet-led pubs
For pubs that receive less than 50% of their sales income from food and had to remain closed after the National Restrictions (5 November to 2 December) as they did not serve food.
This is a one-off grant payment of £1,000. This is for local authorities which were under High or Very High (Tier 2 and Tier 3) restrictions for all or part of the period between 2 and 29 December 2020.
Officers have been contacting pubs in the borough, who will be applying for other grants available to ensure they are aware of the criteria and considered for this additional one-off payment.
State Aid
These grant schemes count towards State Aid limits. Businesses will need to confirm, as part of the application process, that by accepting any grant, they are not in breach of State Aid rules. In receiving the grant all businesses are also confirming their full eligibility under the state aid rules. State Aid rules can be found here (external link).
Further Information
