Hull City Council is preparing to pay out vital restart grants to businesses to help them recover from the Covid pandemic and kickstart the local economy.
The new Restart Grants announced by the Chancellor in the last Budget are to be paid by the Council starting from April 6 as businesses start to reopen their doors and welcome back customers.
In the past year, the council has paid £77m to businesses in Hull to help them through the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions however, these existing grant schemes are closing to be replaced by the new Restart Grants.
Hull City Council is working to ensure as many businesses as possible can access financial support as the economy recovers.
Councillor Daren Hale, Hull City Council’s portfolio holder for economic investment, regeneration, planning, land and property, said: “The council has worked extremely hard to make sure as many businesses as possible have received the financial support they so desperately need during this crisis but there may still be a few who have yet to make a claim.”
“I am urging every business to access this funding before the Government closes the scheme. We have managed to pay out £77m so far but we are committed to doing everything we can to help businesses bounce back from Covid,
“We are again working to ensure Restart Grants are paid to every eligible business from April so that businesses are getting all of the funding they need for a strong recovery.”
For those businesses that were eligible for and paid existing local restrictions and lockdown top up grants, the council will re-assess those applications to determine what level of Restart Grant businesses receive.
Where possible, these payments will be made automatically. However, the Government requires additional business information for Restart Grants to be paid and, when the council cannot obtain this information, businesses will be contacted directly.
Businesses that have not previously applied for existing Local Restrictions and Lockdown Grants will also be able to apply using the form on the council website.
Existing Local Restrictions and Lockdown Grants will close to new applications on March 31 and Hull City Council is calling on any businesses that were required to close as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic who have not yet applied for a grant to do so as soon as possible.
From April 1, 2021 Hull City Council will not be able to accept new applications for existing Local Restrictions and Lockdown Grants relating to closure periods before February 16, 2021. From 31 May 2021, the council will also not be able to accept new applications for all closure periods up to 31 March 2021.
The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) will also close to applications on April 23, 2021. ARG can provide grants to businesses which are open (and have not received LRSG grant payments) but which are severely impacted by restrictions.
ARG can also support businesses forced to close but who are not registered to pay business rates. If you have previously applied under ARG, there is no need to make a further application. Full details can be found here http://www.hull.gov.uk/business/business-grants-and-funding/additional-restrictions-grant
Further details of the Restart Grants available can be here, http://www.hull.gov.uk/coronavirus/coronavirus-business-advice-and-support/covid-19-financial-support-businesses
