Restart Grants

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Restart Grants

Posted By Editor

The Restart grant is a one-off grant payment to help businesses in England to re-open safely.

Grants are available as follows:

  • A one-off payment of up to £6,000 for non-essential retail business premises, to help them to re-open safely
  • A one-off payment of up to £18,000 for hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses, which may open later under plans in the Government’s roadmap, and which will be more impacted by restrictions when they do

The Restart grant does not apply to any period prior to 1 April 2021.

Eligibility Criteria

Businesses must:

  1. Be liable for local non-domestic rating (business rates) and have premises on the Council’s rating list on 1 April 2021
  2. Fall within either:
    1. Strand One – non-essential retail; or
    2. Strand Two – hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care, or gym businesses

And

  1. Be trading on 1 April 2021

Strand One – non-essential retail

A non-essential retail business is a business used mainly or wholly for the purposes of retail sale or hire of goods or services by the public. We will look at the following criteria:

  • Does the business offer in-person non-essential retail to the general public?
  • Was the business required to cease their retail operation in the January 2021 restrictions?
  • Did the business have retail services restricted in the 2021 national restrictions?
  • Does the business sell directly to consumers?

Strand One – exclusions

Businesses excluded from Strand One are:

  • Food retailers (including food markets, supermarkets, convenience stores and corner shops)
  • Off licences
  • Breweries
  • Pharmacies and chemists
  • Newsagents
  • Animal rescue centres and boarding facilities
  • Building merchants
  • Petrol stations
  • Vehicle repair and MOT services
  • Bicycle shops
  • Taxi and vehicle hire businesses
  • Education providers including tutoring services
  • Banks, building societies and other financial providers
  • Post offices
  • Funeral directors
  • Laundrettes and dry cleaners
  • Medical practices
  • Veterinary surgeries and pet shops
  • Agricultural supply shops
  • Garden centres
  • Storage and distribution facilities
  • Wholesalers
  • Employment agencies and businesses
  • Office buildings
  • Automatic car washes
  • Mobility support shops

Strand Two – hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care, or gym businesses

The following businesses will be classified under Strand Two:

Hospitality

Hospitality businesses are defined as businesses whose main function is to provide a venue for the consumption and sale of food and drink. We will look at the following criteria:

  • Does the business offer in-person food and drink services to the general public; or
  • Is it a business that provides food and/or drink to be consumed on the premises (including outdoors)

The following businesses are excluded from the Hospitality classification:

  • Food kiosks
  • Businesses whose main service is a takeaway (this does not apply to those who have adapted to offer takeaways during periods of restriction)

Leisure

Leisure businesses are defined as businesses that provide opportunities, experiences and facilities, in particular for culture, recreation, entertainment, celebratory events and days and nights out. We will look at the following criteria:

  • Does the business provide in-person, intangible experiences in addition to goods?
  • Does the business rely on seasonal labour?
  • Does the business assume particular public safety responsibilities?
  • Does the business operate with irregular hours through day, night and weekends?

The following businesses are excluded from the Leisure classification:

  • All retail businesses
  • Coach tour operators
  • Tour operators
  • Telescopes

Accommodation

Accommodation businesses are defined as businesses whose main lodging provision is used for holiday, travel and other purposes. We will look at the following criteria:

  • Does the business provide accommodation for ‘away from home’ stays for work or leisure purposes?
  • Does the business provide accommodation for short-term leisure and holiday purposes?

The following businesses are excluded from the Accommodation classification:

  • Private dwellings
  • Education accommodation
  • Residential homes and care homes
  • Residential family centres
  • Beach huts

Gyms and Sports

Gyms and sports businesses are defined as commercial or non-profit establishments where physical exercise or training takes place on an individual or group basis, using exercise equipment or open floor space, with or without instruction, or where individual and group sporting, athletic and physical activities are participated in competitively or recreationally. We will look at the following criteria:

  • Does the business offer in-person exercise and sports activities to the general public?
  • Is the business open to members of the public paying an entry or membership fee?
  • Does the business require extensive cleaning protocols which significantly slows down trade?
  • Does the business offer exercise classes or activities which may mandate space and no masks?

The following businesses are excluded from the Gyms and Sports classification:

  • Home gyms
  • Home exercise studios
  • Home sports courts
  • Home sports grounds

Personal Care

Personal Care businesses are defined as businesses which provide services, treatments or activities for the purposes of personal beauty, hair, grooming, body care and aesthetics and wellbeing. We will look at the following criteria:

  • Does the business deliver in-person holistic, beauty and hair treatments?
  • Does the business provide services such as tattoos and piercings?
  • Does the business offer close-contact services, which are required to deliver the treatment?
  • Does the business offer services, treatments or activities that require social distancing and cleaning protocols, which have led to a reduction in their capacity to deliver personal care services?

The following businesses are excluded from the Personal Care classification:

  • Businesses that only provide personal care goods rather than services
  • Businesses used solely as training centres for staff, apprentices and others
  • Business providing dental services, opticians, audiology services, chiropody, chiropractors and osteopaths
  • Businesses providing other medical or health services including services which incorporate personal care services, treatments required by those with disabilities and services relating to mental health

Levels of Grant

The Restart grant is a one-off grant.

Awards for businesses in Strand One (non-essential retail)

In Strand One, the following awards apply:

  1. Businesses occupying premises with a rateable value of £15,000 or under on 1 April 2021 will receive a one-off payment of £2,667
  2. Business occupying premises with a rateable value of over £15,000 and less than £51,000 on 1 April 2021 will receive a one-off payment of £4,000
  3. Business occupying a premises with a rateable value of £51,000 or over on 1 April 2021 will receive a one-off payment of £6,000

Awards for businesses in Strand Two (hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses)

In Strand Two, the following awards apply:

  1. Businesses occupying premises with a rateable value of £15,000 or under on 1 April 2021 will receive a one-off payment of £8,000
  2. Business occupying premises with a rateable value of over £15,000 and less than £51,000 on 1 April 2021 will receive a one-off payment of £12,000
  3. Business occupying a premises with a rateable value of £51,000 or over on 1 April 2021 will receive a one-off payment of £18,000

Business who do not meet the criteria will not be awarded a grant. Businesses are entitled to receive a grant for each eligible business premises.

General exclusions

The following businesses will not be entitled to a grant:

  • Businesses that are not within the rating system
  • Businesses that have already received grant payments that equal the maximum permitted subsidy (state aid) allowances
  • Businesses that are in administration, insolvent or where a striking-off notice has been made  

Read the policy that is used to consider and approve these Restart Grant applications

Written by Editor

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