Council Launches Discretionary Grant Fund For Small Businesses

Dream Doors South Beds Dream Doors South Beds The Kitchen Makeover Company New Life For Old Kitchens - From a simple door replacement to a full refit, Dream Doors South Beds can transform your kitchen for a fraction of the cost in ...

Forever Bond Brickwork

Forever Bond Brickwork Forever Bond Brickwork We are a family run business trading since 2004 offering a reliable and trustworthy service. We carry out work throughout Dunstable and the surrounding area. We are focused on providing excellent service with the highest levels ...

Dormans Photo Imaging Ltd

Dormans Photo 13 Broadwalk, The Quadrant Centre, Dunstable. LU5 4RH Dormans Photo are a family run Photo Lab specialising in Digital and Film processing & printing, Poster prints up to A0 size, and stock a wide variety of frames and albums. We ...

After a special meeting of its Executive, Central Bedfordshire Council announced it is to launch a Discretionary Grant Scheme on Monday June 8th.

The new, Government-funded scheme, is aimed to help those small businesses, badly hit by the pandemic which were not covered by the Business Support Grant Scheme or other financial support.

Grants of up to £10,000 can be made, but if the value of eligible applications is more than the money available, they will be reduced pro rata.

Cllr Richard Wenham, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Corporate Resources, said: “This is a fixed pot of money and we want to make sure as many eligible businesses as possible benefit.

“We will be contacting businesses we know are eligible but there will be many, as they pay business rates as part of their rent, that aren’t as visible to us. So we urge owners to visit our website and apply as soon as possible as there is only a two-week window for applications.”

Six types of business are priorities under the scheme, and each must meet four strict criteria set by the Government.

Added Cllr Wenham: “The most important is that a business must have relatively high fixed costs for premises in terms of rent or commercial mortgage. But unlike the Business Support Grants, applicants will not have to show they pay business rates directly to us. This will help the many businesses whose rates are included in their rent.”

Full details of the scheme can be found on the council’s website. But the six categories of business are: those in shared spaces without an individual business rates assessment, regular market traders, bed and breakfasts that pay council tax instead of business rates, charity properties, suppliers to the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors and children’s nurseries.

Read the latest issue of The Vine Magazine for your area HERE

FOR AFFORDABLE, EFFECTIVE LOCAL ADVERTISING GET IN TOUCH