Guidance

Coronavirus (COVID-19): business support grant funding - guidance for local authorities

Guidance for local authorities setting out details of the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF).

• From: Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
• Published: 24 March 2020
• Last updated: 7 August 2020 — See all updates

Applies to England

Documents

Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF) and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF): guidance for local authorities (Version 6)

PDF, 271 KB, 19 pages

Local Authority Discretionary Fund: guidance for for local authorities (Version 3)

PDF, 226 KB, 15 pages

Details

This guidance sets out details and eligibility criteria for:

• Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF)
• Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF)
• Local Authority Discretionary Fund

It informs local authorities about the operation and delivery of the 3 funding schemes.

There is different guidance for businesses.

Local authorities have reported on the amount of funding they have paid to businesses.

The SBGF and RHLGF schemes were announced at Budget on 11 March 2020, and the level of funding was increased in a statement from the Chancellor on 17 March 2020.

Updates

7 August

Clarification on grant scheme eligibility for town and parish councils.

23 May

Businesses who are eligible for the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) are now eligible to apply for the Local Authority Discretionary Fund.

13 May

Added guidance on the Local Authority Discretionary Fund.

24 April

Clarification on whether grants are subject to tax.

3 April

Added State Aid information.

2 April

Added details of grant funding allocations by local authority.

1 April

Updated information on:

• state aid
• monitoring and reporting requirements
• post payment checks
• eligibility of charities

25 March

Paragraph 17 updated to: Hereditaments that were not eligible for percentage SBRR relief (including those eligible for the Small Business Rate Multiplier) are excluded.

Published 24 March 2020
Last updated 7 August 2020 + show all updates

1. 7 August 2020

   Clarification on grant scheme eligibility for town and parish councils.

2. 23 May 2020

   Version 2 of Local Authority Discretionary Fund guidance published - businesses who are eligible for the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) are now eligible to apply for the scheme.

3. 13 May 2020

   We've added guidance on the Local Authority Discretionary Fund.

4. 24 April 2020

   Updated with clarification of whether grants are subject to tax.

5. 3 April 2020

   Information about State Aid added.

6. 2 April 2020

   We've added the grant funding allocations by local authority.

7. 1 April 2020

   Updated information on state aid, monitoring and reporting requirements, post payment checks, eligibility of charities.

8. 30 March 2020

   Version 3 published with updates on State Aid, monitoring and reporting requirements, new annexes on state aid, Spotlight, and post payment checks, clarification of eligibility of charities.

9. 25 March 2020

   Paragraph 17 updated to: Hereditaments that were not eligible for percentage SBRR relief (including those eligible for the Small Business Rate Multiplier) are excluded.

10. 24 March 2020

    First published.