Northumberland County Council is preparing to launch the second phase of its successful Business Resilience Grant (BRG) scheme. 

 

The grant scheme is aimed at companies that are liable for business rates, but have not already received Local Restrictions Support Grants, the Restart Grant or Additional Restriction Grants. To enable more business types to be supported the Council extended the Business Resilience Grant so that it can also support some mobile and home-based businesses.   

 

Phase one of the scheme has been running since February and closes for applications today (Friday 30 April).  

 

Version 2 of the BRG scheme will provide further support for these businesses as Covid-19 restrictions are starting to be eased and is due to launch for applications during the first two weeks of May.  

 

Jan Willis, Executive Director of Finance at Northumberland County Council said: “The Business Resilience Grant has been extremely successful in supporting many enterprises which were not eligible for the main Local Restrictions Support Grants.  

 

“We are now preparing to launch a further phase of the scheme – supporting these businesses as restrictions begin to ease, and we will be promoting it widely as soon as all of the requirements of the application process are in place.” 

 

To apply you must be based in Northumberland, have been trading on 1 April 2021, have not already received support through Local Restriction Support Grants, the Restart Grants or Additional Restriction Grants and, for those with premises, be able to demonstrate a minimum of £200 a month of ongoing commercial property costs.   

 

Home-based and mobile businesses eligible will be those which operate in the hospitality, accommodation and leisure industries, which supply these industries directly, and those that provide face-to-face services. They must be able to demonstrate that they continue to have on-going fixed costs of at least £100 per month associated with running their business, and that they have not been able to adapt to trade successfully online.  The business must also provide the majority of the applicant's income. 

 

Businesses that have successfully applied for the first round of BRG will be able to apply for BRG2. 

 

All applicants must be able to demonstrate that their business has been severely impacted by Covid-19 restrictions, through a significant reduction in footfall, trading restrictions or supply chain disruption. 

 

The version 2 grant will be a one-off payment of either £1,000 and £2,500 for home-based businesses, subject to the level of their fixed running costs, and £2,500, £5,000 or £10,000 for those with business premises, according to their rateable value. 

 

When Business Resilience Grant 2 opens for applications details an application form will be published on the Council’s website at www.northumberland.gov.uk/businessgrants, and it will be promoted widely through social media and the local press.