Business owners asked to contact Rushcliffe Borough Council on business support grants

A council is asking business owners yet to receive a COVID-19 central Government grant but unsure if they are eligible for the support to get in touch with the authority.

More than 350 businesses are now being contacted by letter but Rushcliffe Borough Council is aware many business owners are not currently present at their premises due to COVID-19.

The borough council are asking that they contact them on 0115 981 9911.

In some cases owners have not registered a contact number with the authority, meaning they need to make themselves known by phone or respond to the letter arriving at the registered business address.

The chancellor outlined last month the £350bn package of support for enterprise nationwide that has seen the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) provide the council with the funding to administer the payments to businesses in accordance with Government guidelines.

The two type of payments available are £10,000 grants for properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or less in receipt of small business rates relief and £25,000 grants for retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value of more than £15,000 but less than £51,000.

Retail, hospitality and leisure properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or less and not receiving small business rates relief may also be entitled to a grant of £10,000.

There are some exceptions and businesses need to be on the council’s rating list as at March 11 this year.

As of April 6, more than 1,100 businesses in the borough were informed about the funding resulting in over £7m of payments.

Eligible businesses yet to claim the grant are required to contact the Council to make their claim in line with safe financial protocols as soon as possible.

The timing of payment received will be dependent upon a prompt return of information by businesses.

Leader of the council Simon Robinson said: “These schemes are vital elements in the wider support to the economy as we locally support central government in managing the impacts of COVID-19.

“We know businesses everywhere are facing an unprecedented position and that’s why we’re very keen every single eligible business receives the grant it is entitled to.

“Business owners need to contact us on 0115 981 9911 as soon as possible if they have yet to claim but should meet the criteria of the scheme outlined in more detail on the website at www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/businesscoronavirus.

"The latest information on this and all the support for businesses, our services and communities is available at www.rushcliffe.gov.uk"