Agenda item

RESOLVED thatthe details of the forthcoming Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) be noted and the following proposals endorsed;

(i) a new scheme is open inviting businesses from across the District to apply through a new application process;

(ii) businesses who have been and continue to be affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, specifically the Omicron variant, be prioritised for the ARG including;

·        businesses from all sectors that may have been impacted, including but not limited to, hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care, the travel and tourism sector (group travel, travel agents, tour operators), wedding industries,

·        businesses who hold a business rates account,

·        businesses who do not hold a business rates account,

·         and businesses who have not received any previous ARG funding.

(iii) the following criteria be used to assess the level of grant funding to be awarded from the ARG scheme;

·        level of fixed costs faced by the business,

·        no. of FTE employees within the applicant business,

·        the impact of the Omicron variant on their business trading,

·        and, the value of previous grant/s award through ARG or other discretionary grant schemes.

(iv) the level of any award be set at a maximum of £5,000 for a single business with discretion to award a grant of £1,500 / £2,500 / £5,000 based on an officer assessment using the above criteria as set out in 1(ii) and 1(iii).

Executive considered a report in relation to the latest funding of Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) monies from the Government.

The ARG was a discretionary funding scheme which aimed to support businesses severely impacted by Coronavirus and its variants, and was first launched in the 2020/21 financial year with further rounds of funding being ‘topped-up’ in January 2021 and April 2021.  

The scheme had been administered through the Economic Development Team and the Partnerships Team, and to date, 302 grants had been awarded to Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) across the Bolsover District.

The Government had recently issued the Council with the latest top-up of funding in-line with a Guidance Note published on 30th December 2021, which also detailed the criteria for awarding the money. 

Officers had been working through the guidance and in response to the latest variant, Omicron, local authorities were encouraged to support businesses from all sectors that may have been impacted including but not limited to, hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care, the travel and tourism sector (group travel, travel agents, tour operators), wedding industries, and other businesses that may not have received other grant funding.  This scheme would be extended to include businesses both in and outside of the business rates system.

Businesses who applied for or who were awarded an ARG, would also be registered with either the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) or Marketing Peak District and Derbyshire (MPDD), for a 12-month membership.  This would be at no cost to the business and was a further support tool the Council were able to offer to businesses as part of its COVID recovery support.  It could include legal help and advice, debt recovery, cyber protection, access to funding, marketing and new market opportunities, and targeted sector-specific business support for growth.

The Business Growth Manager advised the meeting that a number of businesses, both in and outside of the priority sectors as identified in the report, had applied for the funding since the application process had started.  However, some of these applications would need to be refused due to the limited amount of funding against the number of applicants received, as it would not be possible to extend the grant out to all the businesses.

Moved by Councillor Duncan McGregor and seconded by Councillor Steve Fritchley

RESOLVED that the details of the forthcoming Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) be noted and the following proposals endorsed;

       (i) a new scheme is open inviting businesses from across the District to apply through a new application process;

(ii) businesses who have been and continue to be affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, specifically the Omicron variant, be prioritised for the ARG including;

·   businesses from all sectors that may have been impacted, including but not limited to, hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care, the travel and tourism sector (group travel, travel agents, tour operators), wedding industries,

·   businesses who hold a business rates account,

·   businesses who do not hold a business rates account,

·   and businesses who have not received any previous ARG funding.

(iii) the following criteria be used to assess the level of grant funding to be awarded from the ARG scheme;

·   level of fixed costs faced by the business,

·   no. of FTE employees within the applicant business,

·   the impact of the Omicron variant on their business trading,

·   and, the value of previous grant/s award through ARG or other discretionary grant schemes.

(iv)the level of any award be set at a maximum of £5,000 for a single business with discretion to award a grant of £1,500 / £2,500 / £5,000 based on an officer assessment using the above criteria as set out in 1(ii) and 1(iii).

(Assistant Director of Development and Planning)

REASONS FOR RECOMMENDATION(S)

The report set out the proposals for administering the latest round of ARG funding to the value of £97,718.41

The grant was a much needed financial injection in to businesses who were facing continued financial pressures as a result of COVID and its variants.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS AND REASONS FOR REJECTION

The option to ‘do nothing’ with Additional Restrictions Grant self-evidently cannot be countenanced by the Council.

The Business Growth Manager left the meeting.