Coronavirus Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund
The Discretionary Grant Fund supports small and micro businesses that are not eligible for othergrant schemes opened on the 8 June.
Small and micro businesses with fixed property costs that are not eligible for the Small Business Grant Fund or the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund may be eligible for the Discretionary Grants Scheme.
What you get
Businesses required to close in England due to local or national restrictions will be eligible for the following:
- For properties with a rateable value of £15k or under, grants to be £1,334 per month, or £667 per two weeks;
- For properties with a rateable value of between £15k-£51k grants to be £2,000 per month, or £1,000 per two weeks;
- For properties with a rateable value of £51k or over grants to be £3,000 per month, or £1,500 per two weeks.
Eligibility
You may be eligible if your business:
- is based in England
- has relatively high ongoing fixed property-related costs
- occupies property (or part of a property) with a rateable value or annual mortgage/rent payments below £51,000
- was trading on 11 March 2020
You will need to show that your business has suffered a significant fall in income due to coronavirus.
The Government has asked local councils to prioritise businesses such as:
- small businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces, such as units in industrial parks or incubators
- regular market traders
- bed and breakfasts paying council tax instead of business rates
- charity properties getting charitable business rates relief, which are not eligible for small business rates relief or rural rate relief
Local councils have discretion about how to prioritise this funding. Please check with your council for details of their scheme.
You cannot apply if your business is in administration, insolvent or has received a striking-off notice.
If you are already claiming funding
You cannot apply if you are already claiming under another government grant scheme, such as:
- Small Business Grant Fund
- Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant
- Fisheries Response Fund
- Domestic Seafood Supply Scheme
- Zoos Support Fund
- Dairy Hardship Fund
Businesses that apply for the discretionary grants scheme can still apply for coronavirus-related loans if they are eligible.
You are still eligible if you have applied for the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme or the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme.
If you already get state aid
The discretionary grants fund counts towards state aid.
Payments of £10,000 or less count towards the total de minimis state aid you are allowed to get over a 3-year period – €200,000. If you have reached that threshold, you may still be eligible for funding under the COVID-19 Temporary Framework.
Payments of £25,000 count as state aid under the COVID-19 Temporary Framework. The limit for the framework is €800,000.
Your local council will ask you to complete a declaration confirming that:
- you will not exceed the relevant state aid threshold
- you were not an ‘undertaking in difficulty’ on 31 December 2019. This applies only to the COVID-19 Temporary Framework
To find your local council see: https://www.gov.uk/find-local-council Full report see: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-the-coronavirus-local-authority-discretionary-grants-fund?utm_source=281bab0e-92ec-4a01-ab95-81f8181c1364&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=govuk-notifications&utm_content=immediate