After allocating more than £28 million to Carlisle businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic, Carlisle City Council is now asking local businesses affected by the latest national lockdown to check their eligibility for a new government funding scheme.
Businesses forced to close during the current national government restrictions (5 November – 2 December) may be eligible for a Local Restrictions Support Grant. This is being administered by Carlisle City Council for the Carlisle area on the government’s behalf.
Businesses required to close due to the restrictions will be eligible for the following:
- For properties with a rateable value of £15k or under, grants to be £1,334 per four weeks;
- For properties with a rateable value of between £15k – £51k grants to be £2,000 per four weeks;
- For properties with a rateable value of £51k or over grants to be £3,000 per four weeks.
Businesses that have had to close but have adjusted their operation – such as through the introduction of a ‘click and collect’ service – may also be eligible for the grant.
The criteria and online application form are available on www.carlisle.gov.uk in the Business Support section on the homepage. A direct link is: https://bit.ly/3j8NmfV
Leader of Carlisle City Council, Cllr John Mallinson, said: “If a business is eligible, we urge them to get in touch and complete the online application form. In addition to this grant scheme we are also supporting the administration of the government’s Additional Restrictions Grant scheme which we hope to launch soon.”
Once received, the council aims to process applications as soon as possible. Applicants are reminded to have all necessary documentation accessible before starting on their application. They will need to submit details such as their business rates account number as well as a copy of their bank statement as part of their application. More details are available on the website.
The council is currently also working on the details of a discretionary grant scheme, the Additional Restrictions Grant and hopes to be able to launch this soon.
The council has previously administered three government grant schemes: the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant, Small Business Grant and Local Authority Discretionary Grant Schemes, delivering approximately £28 million worth of grant funding to local businesses.
