Council offers new grant support to businesses hit by lockdown

The Additional Restrictions Grants (ARGs) aim to offer financial support to businesses which were ineligible to apply for a Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) offered by the Government during the national lockdown which ran from 5 November to 2 December.

The council has tailored the ARG criteria to support businesses which supply services to firms forced to close during the lockdown, such as retail, entertainment venue and accommodation suppliers, and businesses operating in the cultural and creative sector.

The ARGs also aim to provide support to the self-employed, freelancers, market traders and people who run a business from home.

Businesses can apply for grants ranging from £500 to £3,000, depending on the number of employees and the rateable value of business premises or the fixed, monthly business costs.

Businesses which have received other grant support during the pandemic can apply for an ARG, with only businesses in receipt of a Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) ineligible for the scheme.

Full application criteria, together with the online ARG application form, can be found on the council's website: www.rugby.gov.uk/additionalgrant

Cllr Jill Simpson-Vince, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for growth and investment, said: "The Government-funded Additional Restrictions Grants have given the council the flexibility to develop its own application criteria to offer vital financial support to borough businesses which missed out on the Local Restrictions Support Grants.

"We know 2020 has been an incredibly difficult year for businesses and from the start of the pandemic we've been determined to offer all the support we can, from distributing grants and rate relief to helping businesses carry on trading in line with the Government's coronavirus restrictions.  

"Rugby Borough Council has committed to spearheading the borough's economic recovery from the pandemic and, with the rollout of a vaccine starting this week, we now have cause to look forward to next year with renewed, albeit cautious, optimism."