New discretionary grant fund for Hastings businesses

Last month the Government announced it would be making additional money available to local authorities to support businesses affected by the coronaviris (Covid-19) crisis.

Hastings Borough Council received just over £1.1 million for this.

The authority said this funding scheme is for small and micro businesses with fixed property costs, whose income has dropped due to the pandemic.

The council added as there is a limited amount of money it has been decided the fairest way of allocating the funds is to have a two-week application window rather than do it on a first-come, first-served basis.

This means the amounts distributed, and the number of grants made, will depend on how many eligible businesses apply.

Applications opened on Wednesday (June 10) and will close at 9am on June 24.

The council encourages businesses to visit the council’s website and check if they are eligible as soon as they can. Go to www.hastings.gov.uk/discretionary.

Cllr Kim Forward, leader of the council, said: “We have developed a policy based on the Government’s rules which reflects the needs of our local businesses.

“We created an initial expression of interest form so we could assess demand for the scheme, and we also reached out to local business networks for their thoughts on which businesses should be prioritised.

“As a result the council has made the decision to prioritise the following, namely larger small businesses which rent a space within a single property, business incubators which provide assistance to new and start-up businesses, businesses in the tourism sector (including suppliers which rely on tourism for more than 50 per cent of their turnover), including language schools which were ineligible for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant, and non profit-making organisations providing support to vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.

“The funding we have been given from government for this scheme is limited and we are trying to ensure that businesses that receive the funding are those who need it most.

“It’s also worth reminding people that they can’t apply if they’re eligible for either the Small Business Grant or the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant schemes.

“Please check if you are eligible for either of these other grants before applying for the discretionary funding. Go to www.hastings.gov.uk/sbg for more information.”

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