Guidance

Check if your business is eligible for a coronavirus grant due to national lockdowns (for closed businesses)

The Local Restrictions Support Grants (LRSG (Closed) Addendum) support businesses that have been required to close due to national lockdowns.

From:
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
Published
12 November 2020
Last updated
8 March 2021 — See all updates

This guidance was withdrawn on

The last payment cycle for the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG (Closed) Addendum) scheme closed to new applications on 31 May 2021. If you haven’t received your payment by 30 June 2021 please contact your local council.

Applies to England

Businesses that were open as usual, but then required to close due to national lockdowns imposed by government may be eligible for the LRSG (Closed) Addendum schemes:

  • from 5 January 2021 onwards
  • between 5 November and 2 December 2020

Eligible businesses may be entitled to a cash grant from their local council for each period of national lockdown.

When national restrictions are introduced and businesses are required to close, the LRSG (Closed) Addendum schemes supersede the LRSG (Closed), LRSG (Open) and LRSG (Sector) schemes.

Application deadlines

The deadlines to apply for the national lockdown LRSG (Closed) Addendum schemes are:

Scheme End date
National lockdown, 5 November 2020 31 March 2021
National lockdown, 5 January 2021: first payment cycle, 5 January to 15 February 31 March 2021
National lockdown, 5 January 2021: second payment cycle, 16 February to 31 March 31 May 2021

Eligibility

Your business may be eligible if it:

  • is based in England
  • occupies property on which it pays business rates (and is the ratepayer)
  • has been required to close because of the national lockdown from 5 January 2021 onwards, or between 5 November and 2 December 2020
  • has been unable to provide its usual in-person customer service from its premises

For example, this could include non-essential retail, leisure, personal care, sports facilities, tourism and hospitality businesses. It could also include businesses that operate primarily as an in-person venue, but which have been forced to close those services and provide a takeaway-only service instead.

Eligible businesses can get one grant for each non-domestic property.

Businesses excluded from the fund

You cannot get funding if:

  • you can continue to operate during the lockdown period because you do not depend on providing direct in-person services from your premises (for example accountants)
  • you have chosen to close, but have not been required to close as part of national restrictions
  • your business is in administration, insolvent or has been struck off the Companies House register
  • you have exceeded the permitted subsidy limit

You must notify your local council if your situation changes and you no longer meet the eligibility criteria.

Subsidy allowance

The new domestic subsidy allowance for the COVID-19 business support grants took effect on 4 March 2021. Applications made prior to that date are subject to the previous rules.

This scheme is covered by 3 subsidy allowances:

  • Small Amounts of Financial Assistance Allowance – you’re allowed up to £335,000 (subject to exchange rates) over any period of 3 years
  • COVID-19 Business Grant Allowance – you’re allowed up to £1,600,000
  • COVID-19 Business Grant Special Allowance - if you have reached your limits under the Small Amounts of Financial Assistance Allowance and COVID-19 Business Grant Allowance, you may be able to access a further allowance of funding under these scheme rules of up to £9,000,000, provided certain conditions are met

Grants under these 3 allowances can be combined for a potential total allowance of up to £10,935,000 (subject to exchange rates).

What you get

The grant will be based on the rateable value of the property on the first full day of lockdown.

National lockdown from 5 January 2021

Grants for the period 5 January to 31 March 2021 will be based on the rateable value of the property on 5 January 2021.

First payment cycle, 5 January to 15 February 2021

The first payment cycle covers 5 January to 15 February 2021:

  • if your business has a property with a rateable value of £15,000 or less, you may be eligible for a cash grant of £2,001 for this 42-day qualifying restrictions period
  • if your business has a property with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000, you may be eligible for a cash grant of £3,000 for this 42-day qualifying restrictions period
  • if your business has a property with a rateable value of £51,000 or above, you may be eligible for a cash grant of £4,500 for this 42-day qualifying restrictions period

You will also be eligible for the one-off Closed Businesses Lockdown Payment, which your local council should pay together with the grant from the first payment cycle of this scheme.

Second payment cycle, 16 February to 31 March 2021

The second payment cycle covers 16 February to 31 March 2021:

  • if your business has a property with a rateable value of £15,000 or less, you may be eligible for a cash grant of £2,096 for this 44-day qualifying restrictions period
  • if your business has a property with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000, you may be eligible for a cash grant of £3,143 for this 44-day qualifying restrictions period
  • if your business has a property with a rateable value of £51,000 or above, you may be eligible for a cash grant of £4,714 for this 44-day qualifying restrictions period

National lockdown between 5 November and 2 December 2020

Grants for the period 5 November to 2 December 2020 will be based on the rateable value of the property on 5 November 2020.

If your business has a property with a rateable value of £15,000 or less, you may be eligible for a cash grant of £1,334 for the 28-day qualifying restrictions period.

If your business has a property with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000, you may be eligible for a cash grant of £2,000 for the 28-day qualifying restrictions period.

If your business has a property with a rateable value of £51,000 or above, you may be eligible for a cash grant of £3,000 for the 28-day qualifying restrictions period.

How to apply

Visit your local council’s website to find out how to apply:

Find the website for your local council.

Updates to this page

Published 12 November 2020
Last updated 8 March 2021 + show all updates

  1. Grant scheme closing date and details of new subsidy allowance confirmed.

  2. Guidance updated with details of the second payment cycle covering the lockdown period 16 February to 31 March.

  3. Updated with details of grants available during the national restriction period from 5 January 2021 onwards. The subsidy control / state aid conditions for this scheme have not changed following the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020: more information will be available shortly.

  4. Businesses that have been required to close due to national restrictions imposed by government as of 5 January 2021 may be eligible for a one-off grant of up to £9,000.

  5. Guidance amended to reflect the UK’s updated state aid agreement with the EU Commission.

  6. First published.

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