Financial support for businesses affected by coronavirus

The government have provided support to businesses affected by the Coronavirus.

Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant Scheme

The government have provided further funding to help support businesses in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors, due to the Omicron variant

Which businesses are eligible

To be eligible for the grant:

• the property must have been in the rating list on 30 December 2021
• your business must have been the ratepayer and in occupation of the premises on 30 December 2021
• the business must have been engaged in business activity and trading on 30 December 2021
• the business must offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in the fixed business rates paying premises

There is guidance on the types of businesses that can be supported under this scheme .

Exclusions from the grant scheme include:

• businesses that are not within the business rates system
• businesses that are not in the hospitality, leisure (including gyms and golf courses) and accommodation sectors
• businesses that have already received grant payments that exceed the maximum permitted subsidy allowances
• businesses which on 30 December 2021 were in administration, insolvent or subject to a striking-off notice

How much will you receive

The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant is a one-off grant of up to £6,000 depending on the rateable value of the business premises.

How to apply

To apply for the grant you will need:

• your business rate account number.  This is an 8-digit number shown on your rates bill starting with 30
• your company registration number and VAT number.  If you are a sole trader, you will need your national insurance number
• if you have not previously claimed a business support grant, or if your bank details have changed since your last application, we will need a copy of a recent bank statement

To apply for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant use the online form below.

Apply for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant

The closing date for applications is Friday 18 March 2022.

For full details of the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme download our policy below.

Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant Policy [235.62KB]

If you have any queries you can contact our Business Rates Team on 01590 646119 or by email to nndr@nfdc.gov.uk  

Discretionary Grants

Additional Restrictions (Discretionary) Grant (ARG) 

On 21 December 2021 the government announced additional funding for local authorities to support businesses who were impacted by the Omicron variant but may not be eligible for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure grant.  

On 30 December 2021, the government issued guidance to Councils as to how this scheme should be administered and updated their guidance on 18 January 2022, which we are now working through. 

The government has confirmed our ARG funding allocation of £337,669, which is significantly less than previous funding allocations. As such we must consider how we distribute this very limited grant allocation. We are continuing to work on the application process for ARG and will update businesses once the scheme is launched. 

As soon as the application form is available, we will provide details on who will be eligible and how to apply. 

Businesses should continue to monitor this webpage and sign up to receive our business support email newsletter and follow us on our Twitter @NFDCBizUpdates for updates on COVID support schemes for businesses.

Information on (non-Covid) grants for businesses can be found at Grants and loans for existing businesses

Business Rates holiday

Some businesses are eligible for a Business Rates holiday for one year from 1 April 2020. This has now been extended to 30 June 2021.  From 1 July 2021 to 31 March 2022 eligible businesses will receive a 66% discount.

You may be eligible for the discount on your Business Rates bill in either of the following circumstances:

• your business occupies a property in the expanded retail sector
• your business occupies a property in the leisure or hospitality sectors

If you are not currently receiving a reduction, find out more about the Expanded Retail Discount.

The discount is also available for registered childcare nurseries with providers on Ofsted's Early Years Register, who mainly occupy premises for provision of the Early Years Foundation Stage.