Businesses in West Suffolk that have had to close due to the new COVID-19 national restrictions could be eligible for grant from a £2.9m fund.

West Suffolk Council is asking businesses to complete a claim form online at www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support/localrestrictionsbusinesssupportgrant.cfm

The Council has been given an allocation of £2.9million to pay out to businesses in West Suffolk. These will be paid as one-off grants to cover a 28-day period.

Only businesses that have had to close will be eligible. Businesses that have as a result set up a click and collect service and restaurants providing a takeaway service will still be able to claim.

The amounts that closed businesses can claim are the following:

• Businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or under and who are eligible can claim for a grant of £1,334.
• Businesses with a rateable value of £15,001 to £50,999 and who are eligible can claim for a grant of £2,000.
• Businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 and above and who are eligible can claim for a grant of £3,000.

Cllr John Griffiths, Leader of West Suffolk Council, said: “We all appreciate the enormous stress and strain that many of our businesses are under at this time. West Suffolk Council is ready, once again, to do all that we can to help support them not just with eligible grants, but advice and support. This is the first of the new Government grants for this period of restriction and we understand that others are currently being worked up by the Government. We will of course share further information on this as soon as we get it. In the meantime, we are prioritising this support, along with community support through the Home But Not Alone service, and have reallocated staff to help contact businesses and make payments.”

The Council will be sharing information about the grants with business leaders including the business districts Our Bury St Edmunds and Love Newmarket, Menta business support, the Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, as well as town and parish councils across the district, and encouraging all of them to share with their business communities.

Over the next few weeks, Council staff will be emailing out to businesses paid under the previous grants scheme who are now in the list of closed business types, encouraging them to visit the website. It will also be working with Anglia Revenues Partnership and phoning, emailing and social media messaging businesses that were not eligible for the previous grants but are likely to meet criteria under the new Government scheme. The Council will also run a social media campaign using the hashtag #WSbizgrants again encouraging eligible businesses to visit www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support/localrestrictionsbusinesssupportgrant.cfm