What cash grants are available to support businesses during the Cornonavirus crisis?

An index with links and summaries.

What's New? 2022-23

 

Coronavirus Job Retention scheme (CJRS)

Funding to pay employee wages.

Self Employed Income Support scheme (SEISS)

Grant funding for the self-employed.
Test and Trace Payments £500 payment for those on low income who are forced to self-isolate. Scheme ended on 24 February 2022.
Restart Grant Scheme

 

Local council grants for businesses in the non-essential retail sector to support reopening as restrictions are lifted.

 

Local Restrictions Support Grant

For businesses in England that are required to shut because of local interventions. Replaced by domestic subsidy allowances in March 2021.

Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF)

Funding for businesses eligible for Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) and Rural Rates Relief (RRR). 

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant (RHLG)

Businesses in England in receipt of the rates Expanded Retail Discount with a rateable value of less than £51,000.

Discretionary Grant Fund

Of £25,000, £10,000 or any amount under £10,000 for small and micro businesses that are not eligible for other grant schemes. Closed June 2020. See Local Restrictions Support Grant for November 2020 +.

Kickstart Scheme

For new six-month job placements for 16-24 year-olds. Closed to new applications on 17 December 2021.

Fisheries Response Fund 

Financial assistance for England’s fishing and aquaculture

Domestic Seafood Supply Fund

Launched on 29 April 2020 and closed on 11 May 2020

Zoos Hardship Fund

An animal welfare grant of up to £100,000 for your zoo or aquarium. Closed June 2021.

Dairy Hardship Fund

Farmers who have lost more than 25% of their income. Closed September 2020.

Film & TV Production Restart Scheme

For UK film and TV productions struggling to get insurance for COVID-related costs and help productions back up and running. 

 

Grants for the rest of the UK

Wales:

Scotland:

Northern Ireland:


Restart Grant Scheme

See Restart Grant Scheme opened

Local Restrictions Support Grant

As updated 4 March 2021:

As updated on January 2021:

 Grant Rateable Value
 £4,000  Up to £15,000
 £6,000  £15,001 - £51,000
 £9,000  Over £51,000

 

As updated on 29 October 2020:

See Local Restrictions Support Grant


 

Small Business Grant Fund, Rural Rates Relief and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant

Grant

Eligibility criteria

£10,000 Any business eligible for Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) and Rural Rates Relief (RRR)
£10,000 A retail, hospitality and leisure business with a rateable value of up to £15,000
£25,000 A retail, hospitality and leisure business rateable value of over £15,000 and less than £51,000
£ nil Businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or over are not eligible for this scheme

 

Hereditaments (premises) included in this scheme are those which on the 11 March 2020 were eligible for relief under the business rate Small Business Rate Relief Scheme (including those with a Rateable Value between £12,000 and £15,000 which receive tapered relief) or are eligible to the Expanded Retail Discount and have a rateable value of less than £51,000.

Excluded properties

Only one grant may be awarded per hereditament.

See: Small Business Grant Fund and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund Guidance


Discretionary Grant Fund 2 : January 2021

There will be a new £594 million Discretionary Grant Fund available for those businesses who are not eligble for the latest LRSG funding. Details are yet to be published.

Discretionary Grant Fund 1: March to June 2020

A Discretionary Grant Fund for small and micro businesses that are not eligible for other grant schemes.

A grant of £25,000, £10,000 or any amount under £10,000.

A business is potentially eligible if it:

Priority applications are given to:

You cannot apply if:

How to apply

Go to your local council’s website to find out how to apply. Applications close at 9am on 15 June 2020.


Fisheries Response Fund

See Fisheries Response Fund further payment for eligible business.

Domestic Seafood Supply Fund (DSSS)

See DSSS scheme


Zoos Hardship Fund

An animal welfare grant of up to £100,000 for your zoo or aquarium affected by coronavirus (COVID-19).

You could apply to the Zoos Support Fund if your zoo or aquarium is based in England and either:

See Support for Zoos and Aquariums


Dairy Hardship Fund

See Defra: New funding to support dairy farmers

 


Film & TV Production Restart Scheme

The scheme provides £500 million for UK film and TV productions struggling to get insurance for COVID-related costs and help productions back up and running. 

Note: The formal commencement of the scheme was conditional upon the European Commission providing State Aid approval which has not been received.

Registration deadline: 30 April 2022. Claims will be able to be submitted up to 30 September 2022 for losses incurred up until 23:59 GMT on 30 June 2022.

Applications can now be made via the appointed Third Party Administrator, Marsh Commercial.

See HM Treasury: Film & TV Production Restart Scheme - Scheme Rules

See HM Treasury: Film & TV Production Restart Scheme - Explanatory Notes


Kickstart Scheme

The government’s ‘Kickstart’ job creation scheme aimed to help young unemployed people. It closed on 17 December 2021. 

Kickstart was announced by the Chancellor in his summer economic update.

The scheme could be used to create new six-month job placements for 16-24 year-olds currently on Universal Credit and at risk of long-term unemployment.

See Kickstart Scheme


FAQs

Are these grants taxable?

What are the VAT implications?

HMRC have not provided any guidance as to whether the grants will be subject to VAT or count towards turnover for VAT registration limits. Normal principles are expected to apply meaning:

What about state aid rules?

UK Government grants counts towards state aid.

Fraud

Anti-fraud: any business caught falsifying their records to gain additional grant money will face prosecution and any funding issued will be subject to clawback.

 

External links

Small Business Grant Fund and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund Guidance