West Suffolk businesses urged to check they have received all support funding available as deadline looms

Businesses in West Suffolk which have not applied for Government restriction grants have until March 31 to apply for the full combination of grants for which they are eligible.

The Government has set out its roadmap to recovery and with it the lifting of restrictions and the reopening of many more businesses from next month.

It has now informed councils of the deadlines for its existing grant schemes, designed to help businesses through the restrictions, as well as announcing that there will be Restart Grants - although the council is awaiting the detail of this and will update its grants webpages when it has more detail.

The Government’s restriction grant schemes are to be gradually phased out from March 31 through to May 31.

West Suffolk businesses that have previously applied need take no action as the council has paid them automatically to make the process easier.

But new applicants that haven’t already applied and were forced to close at some point during the restrictions from November to March, only have until March 31 to apply in order to get the full combination of grants for which they are eligible.

Businesses making applications between March 31 and May 31 will receive smaller amounts of funding, relating only to the most recent period of lockdown in February and March.

The scheme for hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses that were open in December but impacted by restrictions on socialising, also closes to applications on March 31.

Government criteria apply to all the above schemes.

Cllr John Griffiths, leader of West Suffolk Council, said: “We have already paid out some £95 million through grants and rate relief this financial year, to thousands of West Suffolk businesses since the pandemic began.

"Through the Additional Restrictions Grant, we have also been able to support many of the smaller home-based, mobile, and shared space businesses that sit outside the Business Rates system.

"The darkness of the past year is hopefully now lifting, and we are all looking forward, with the hope that mass vaccination brings, to more of our businesses reopening and to people’s lives and livelihoods returning to more normal.

"We will of course continue to support businesses here in West Suffolk, not just through the Government’s Restart Grants, but by continuing to work with our partners to develop further initiatives to aid the economic recovery.

"In the meantime, we urge businesses who haven’t applied for grants to visit our website to check their eligibility and apply before it is too late.”

Businesses can find out more, check their eligibility and apply for grants at www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support/ - the Council will also update this webpage when it has more information about the Restart Grants.

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