MORE ADDITONAL SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESS

Small businesses which share properties but do not pay business rates are now eligible to apply for grants to help with the impact of COVID-19.

The extension to the Small Business Grant Fund will apply to firms occupying shared office spaces, business incubators or shared industrial units and who lease the space from a registered, rate-paying landlord. Separately, eligibility has also been extended to companies occupying multiple premises with a cumulative value of more than £51,000.

The South Scotland MSP has also emphasised that the Small Business Grant and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant schemes will close for new applications on the 10th of July and has encouraged people across the region to ensure their application is submitted by then.

Commenting, Ms Harper said:

“The Scottish Government’s comprehensive package of business support is now worth more than £2.3 billion. The programme of support is kept under constant review, and the Scottish Government are always looking for ways to extend eligibility to help more businesses. This is precisely why I welcome these additional support measures which will undoubtably support businesses across D&G.

“Small businesses – who are the backbone of our economy and society across South West Scotland – can now apply for financial support if they occupy shared office space, business incubators or shared industrial units, so long as they rent the space from a rate-paying landlord. This will allow many small businesses not yet entitled to support to access a much-needed financial injection of up to £10,000.

“Additionally, it has been brought to my attention that new applications for the Small Business and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant schemes have slowed in recent weeks and that applications will close on the 10th of July. I therefore encourage eligible businesses to ensure they have applied before this date.”

Some background and further details on these grant schemes…

Applications for a Small Business Support Grant may now be made to the appropriate local authority from tenants that are a registered business or partnership, have a lease signed before 17 March 2020, employ at least one person and have a business bank account.

From 5 May, the Small Business and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants were extended to businesses with multiple properties. This included businesses with a number of properties whose cumulative rateable value exceeded £35,000 (making them ineligible for the Small Business Bonus Scheme, thereby preventing them from accessing the Small Business Grant) and whose individual rateable value does not exceed £18,000 (thereby preventing them from receiving a Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant). To date, the cumulative rateable value of all such properties held was capped at £51,000, but from 8 June, this is increased to £500,000.

Schedule 3.1 of the Scottish Government’s Summer Budget Revisionconfirms the budget for the Small Business and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants as £1.202 billion.