Businesses in Barrow urged to apply for discretionary grants before it's too late

BUSINESSES in Barrow which have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic are being encouraged to apply as soon as possible for the local discretionary grant, a scheme which they do not have to pay back, as the deadline is just around the corner.

The second and final round of the new discretionary support grant was launched last week by Barrow Borough Council in a bid to provide funding to businesses in the area that were ineligible for support in the government’s initial round of funding, including those in hospitality, retail and leisure.

The new scheme is aimed at small and micro-businesses that have suffered financial loss in the past three months. They have until Wednesday, July 29 to apply.

Barrow Borough Council has so far paid more than £250,000 to firms in the area following the first round of successful applications.

Following the first round of the discretionary support grant, the criteria for eligibility has since changed slightly, so businesses who did not qualify in the first phase of applications may re-apply if they meet the new requirements.

Those who are successful in receiving the grant funding will not have to pay the money back in the future.

Leader of Barrow Borough Council Cllr Ann Thomson said: “This is the final round of funding made available to our local small businesses by the government so it’s imperative that business owners apply.

“Those who are successful won’t have to pay back the money they receive, it’s a grant that aims to help them survive during this turbulent time. However, we cannot grant funding if businesses don’t come forward and apply.

“For those who were unsuccessful in the first round, you can apply again if you meet the changed criteria. So I’m urging businesses to check if they are eligible before it’s too late as you don’t want to miss out on funding that you could be entitled to.”

The maximum grant available in Barrow is £10,000.

Guidelines around which businesses are eligible for the new grant have been set by central government:

• Businesses must have been trading on March 11, 2020
• Businesses that are eligible for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme or Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme can still receive grants under the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund
  

  In addition to the eligibility criteria, the Government has said that the grants are aimed at the following businesses:

  • Small or Micro businesses
  • Businesses with relatively high ongoing fixed property-related costs
  • Businesses which can demonstrate that they have suffered a significant fall in income due to the COVID-19 crisis
    

    Businesses that are in administration, are insolvent or where a striking-off notice has been made are not eligible for funding under this scheme.

    The second round of applications closes on July 29.

    More information about the scheme and how to access it is available from:

    https://www.barrowbc.gov.uk/promotion-pages/coronavirus/discretionary-business-grants/