Local Restrictions Support Grant
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy has updated the guidance and information on the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG).
The LRSG supports businesses that were open as usual, providing services in person to customers from their business premises, but which were then required to close for at least 3 weeks due to local lockdown restrictions imposed by government.
It is for businesses that pay business rates on their premises. Local councils may at their discretion also provide funding for businesses that do not pay business rates.
Your business may be eligible if it:
- occupies property on which it pays business rates
- is in a local lockdown area and has been required to close because of the formal publication of local restrictions guidance that resulted in a first full day of closure on or after 9 September. This funding is not retrospective
- has been required to close for at least 3 weeks because of the lockdown
- has been unable to provide its usual in-person customer service from its premises
For example, this could include non-essential retail, personal services or cafes/restaurants that operate primarily as an in-person venue, but which have been forced to close those services and provide a takeaway-only service instead.
Eligible businesses will get one grant for each property liable for business rates within the lockdown zone.
Businesses that are required to close but do not pay business rates may be eligible for funding at the discretion of the local council, as may businesses not required to close but which are severely impacted.
Available funding
If your business is eligible and has a property with a rateable value of less than£51,000, you will receive a cash grant of £1,000 for each 3-week period your business is closed.
If your business is eligible and has a property with a rateable value of £51,000 or above, you will receive a cash grant of £1,500 for each 3-week period your business is closed.
The grant will be extended to cover each additional 3-week period, so if your business is closed for 6 weeks it will receive £2,000 or £3,000, depending on the rateable value of the property.
Grants will be based on the rateable value of the property on the first full day of local lockdown restrictions.
Discretionary funding
You may receive a grant of up to £1,500 at the discretion of your local council if:
- your business is required to close but you do not pay business rates
- if your business is not required to close, but has been severely affected, for example because of customer businesses being closed
Exclusions
There are exclusions to the grant:
- businesses which can continue to operate during the lockdown because they do not depend on providing direct in-person services from their premises
- businesses that have chosen to close, but have not been required to close as part of a local lockdown
- businesses that are still subject to national closures such as nightclubs
- businesses that have reached the state aid limit
How to apply
Visit your local council’s website to find out how to apply:
See: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council