How to get your COVID-19 business grants

Businesses in Plymouth can now apply for financial support to help get them through the current uncertainties created by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Plymouth City Council is writing to all businesses eligible to receive grants so they can urgently access financial help as soon as possible - with the ambition of making most payments within the next two weeks.

The City Centre Business Improvement District (BID) is providing support and will be on hand to provide any help to our eligible businesses.

Steve Hughes, chief executive of the Plymouth City Centre Company which runs the BID, said:“ We are delighted that the information has finally come through and the council will be able to start making these payments as quickly as possible.”

The Small Business Grants Fund, announced by the Government last week as part of a £330 billion package of support, offers a one-off grant to a number of businesses:

• Any business currently in receipt of Small Business Rate Relief may be eligible for a £10,000 cash grant.
• Any retail, hospitality or leisure business with a rateable value of £15,000 or below may be eligible for a £10,000 cash grant.
• Any retail, hospitality or leisure business with a rateable value above £15,000 and below £51,000 may be eligible for a £25,000 cash grant.

Almost 3,500 businesses across the city will qualify for grants of up £10,000, while around 540 businesses will qualify for grants of £25,000.

Council leader Tudor Evans said: “Supporting our local businesses is absolutely a key priority for us right now – these are unprecedented times and we are here to help them through this period of economic shock.”

Letters will be sent to business registered addresses and will include a link to the online application form and a unique PIN, and will be followed up by email. As the Council does not hold businesses bank details, we will need to ask for them and applicants will also need to submit any necessary declarations.  

In addition to the grants, all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England will receive a 100 per cent business rates holiday for the next 12 months.

For more information about the business support available from Plymouth City Council, visit investplymouth.co.uk/covid-19

For more information about business rates, visit plymouth.gov.uk/businesses/businessrates

There will also be a telephone number you can call but this is expected to be extremely busy, so please complete your application online as much as possible.

If you need any help from your BID team, please email Steve.hughes@citycentrebid.co.uk or Holly.reynolds@citycentrebid.co.uk and we will do what we can to help.