Thousands of small businesses across the West of England could miss out on grants worth up to £5,000 unless they act soon.
The Discretionary Grants Fund is being offered by each of the local authorities in the West of England region (Bristol, North Somerset, Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire) to small and micro businesses employing up to 49 people.
The intention of the Discretionary Grants Fund is to help businesses with relatively high ongoing fixed property-related costs that have suffered a significant fall in revenue due to lockdown.
Businesses including bed & breakfasts, nurseries, small businesses in shared offices, the self-employed, market traders and charities that receive charitable business rates are among those that qualify and local authorities in the West of England are urging business to check their eligibility online.
Crucially, any business thinking of applying for a grant from the Discretionary Grants Funds will need to do so in the next few days. The deadline for each of the local authority areas that make up the West of England region is fast approaching.
Bristol City Council
For businesses located in Bristol, the deadline to apply is midnight on Monday 8th June. Full eligibility criteria and applications can be made by following this link: https://www.bristol.gov.uk/business-support-advice/covid-19-discretionar...
Bristol City Council states that they expect to by 15th June and payments to be made via bank transfer by the end of the month.
Bath & North East Somerset
Businesses in Bath & North East Somerset (BANES) have until 10th June to submit their applications. Check the eligibility criteria and find information on how to make an application here: https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/register-discretionary-fund
Alternatively, you can email the BANES grant team directly if you have question not covered via the link above: BusinessGrants_Appeal@BATHNES.GOV.UK
North Somerset
A grant of £2.1 million has been awarded to North Somerset Council as part of the Government Discretionary Grants Fund. Applications opened on 26th May and close next Monday on 8th June.
A detailed FAQs regarding the scheme can be found here, whereas an application can be made using this link: https://forms.n-somerset.gov.uk/ad/form/cvdsbgrant#/1
South Gloucestershire
South Gloucestershire businesses have 4 days left to apply for the Discretionary Grants Fund, with applications due Monday 8th June.
Navigate to this page to find out all you need to know before applying.
Please note that all applications received by the closing date will be assessed against the eligibility criteria, scored and prioritised for award. The volume of eligible businesses within the region may also mean that the grant scheme could be oversubscribed. Nevertheless, businesses should not be put off from applying for this vital financial support at an incredibly difficult time for the regional, national and global economy.
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