Update 24 June

Applications for the Discretionary  Grant have now closed. All applications received before the closing date are now being reviewed by our approval panel

We will continue to update should any further funding be made available for this scheme by Government.

   

What is the purpose of the Discretionary Business Grants?

The discretionary fund will support businesses who have fixed costs and have been affected by COVID-19.  The intention of the grant is to support small businesses with high premises-related costs that fell outside of the original grant scheme.

The level of funding provided by Government is only anticipated to cover 50% of the money that Plymouth City Council estimates is needed to support businesses. We are closely following Government criteria to allocate and process these grants.

    

Discretionary Business Grants Application Form

Please click the below link to access the Discretionary Business Grants form. Please ensure you have read this page in detail so that you have the right information prepared when you make the application. If you do have any queries, please give the Plymouth City Council Business Grant helpline a call.

Applications for the Discretionary Business Grants Application Form are now closed.

    

Which businesses is this aimed at?

These grants are primarily and predominantly aimed at:

• Businesses which have ongoing fixed premise related costs

• Can show they have suffered a significant drop in income due to COVID-19

• Have less than 50 employees

• Businesses that were trading on or before 11th March 2020. (Businesses that were fitting out premises and had not yet started trading are excluded)

Companies that are in administration, are insolvent or where a striking-off notice had been made are not eligible for support.

Priority will be given to small and micro-businesses with relatively high ongoing fixed property-related costs, significant fall in income and rateable value, rent or mortgage payment below £51,000.

If you have already had a grant or received financial support you are not eligible for a second grant through this fund. This means that any business who has claimed through any of the listed schemes below will not be eligible for a discretionary grant:  

• Small Business Grant Fund

• Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant

• The Fisheries Response Fund

• Domestic Seafood Supply Scheme (DSSS)

• The Zoos Support Fund

     

The government has indicated that businesses that will be prioritised for support include:

• B&Bs that pay council tax not business rates*

• Regular market traders with fixed building costs, such as rent, who do not have their own business rates assessment. In Plymouth this includes street traders. Only traders with a formal site agreement with Plymouth City Council or the land owner will be eligible. Businesses that trade across multiple Local Authority areas will only be able to claim a grant from one area.  

• Small businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces who pay an all-inclusive rent and therefore don’t have their own business rates ratings assessment (and so fell outside the previous grant scheme)

• Charity properties in receipt of charitable business rates relief which would otherwise have been eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rate Relief

The Plymouth scheme will also support:

• Plymouth boat based businesses including fishing boats and tourism-based charter boats that are not eligible for the Fisheries Fund. This does not include marinas. This is intended for businesses where the fixed costs accrue to the boat.

*Plymouth City Council will prioritise businesses which are registered with environmental health and provide breakfast. This is not anticipated to support businesses which are only registered on Air BnB.

Within these categories Plymouth will prioritise types of business that have most been affected by loss of income due to the COVID-19 crisis, for example through reduced output due to social distancing or restrictions on public gathering.

   

What formula was used to calculate the amount of money allocated to authorities?

The funding amount calculated and allocated by the Government is 5 per cent of the total issued for the Small Business Grant Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund. This equates to £2.27 million for Plymouth City Council. 

    

How much is the grant award to each business?

Grants can be £25,000, £10,000 or any amount less than £10,000. In order to support as many businesses as possible, the majority of grants awarded are expected to be between £1,000 and £10,000.

    

Is there sufficient money in the Discretionary Fund to support all grant applications?

A preliminary assessment of businesses that could be eligible for this grant shows that there is not sufficient money in the Discretionary Fund to give grants out to all eligible businesses.   

Therefore Plymouth City Council is encouraging businesses who are eligible for other support to take that up, so there is more available for the businesses who have fallen through the gaps.

   

How will the Council prioritise grant payments?

The starting point for prioritisation will be based on government guidance.  We will continue with an online process and automate as much of the decision-making process as possible to ensure we can process the grants as quickly as possible.

• Priority will be given to businesses/charities which employ people. The more people a business employs, the greater the economic impact.

• Priority will be to businesses/charities which have suffered over 50 per cent reduction in turnover since March 2020

     

How will the Council decide on the amount of grant to pay out?

There are expected to be five levels of grants, £1,000, £2,500, £5,000, £10,000 and £25,000.

The grant award will be based on the following factors to address the impact of COVID-19 on a business, and the knock on economic impact locally;

• The level of drop in income,

• Fixed premises costs,

• Type of business (specifically the classes of business outlined in the guidance for prioritisation),

• Number of employees

It is anticipated that the majority of grants will be between £1,000 to £10,000 however there may be a very small number £25,000 grants awarded. 

  

When can I apply and when will I receive a grant payment?

The Council will be issuing grant payments in three tranches in June 2020. We will start accepting applications on 1 June on our online portal. The first payments will be made on 16 June. We anticipate all the funding will be allocated and paid by the end of June. It is proposed the total funding allocation will be split into three equal sums for each consecutive tranche.  All applications will be prioritised and paid in order of priority until the tranche funding has all been paid. There will be an approval panel comprising of a representative from:

• The Council’s Finance Department (Section 151 officer) – Chair

• 2 Representatives from the Council’s Economic Development Department

Any businesses not successful in that tranche will automatically be entered into the subsequent tranche alongside any new applications.

         

Will this scheme be changed?

This scheme will be kept under review. The type of businesses eligible or the levels of grant funding that can be awarded may be changed depending on the developing effect of COVID-19 on the local economy and on the amount of funds available.

     

What do I need to do to apply?

Follow the online process and complete the application form on 1 June, providing information on the impact of COVID-19 on your business.

You’ll need to have the following information available to complete your application:

• Average monthly income from your business for the last 12 months

• Average monthly income from your business since April 2020

• Fixed premises costs (rent, broadband, utilities costs etc)

• Number of employees, including numbers of any furloughed employees

• Your email address to contact you for any further details

• Company information, if applicable to your business including:

  • Council Tax Reference Number

  • Business Rates Account Number

  • Company and/or Charity Number

  • Unique Tax Reference Number

    

Need more assistance?

If you are:

• unable to complete the form online,
• are unsure if your business is eligible under the criteria

Please contact the Plymouth City Council Business Grant helpline on 01752 308984.

Helpline opening hours

Monday to Friday: 9am to 6pm

Please note: the helpline will be closed on bank holidays.