Rochdale businesses most impacted by Omicron variant can now apply for grant support

Businesses most impacted by Covid-19 and the transmission of the Omicron variant can now benefit from the government support package which is to be distributed by local councils.

Rochdale Borough Council is set to receive £1,128,069 under the new 'Omicron grant' for firms in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors, many of which have seen a decline in footfall and increased cancellations due to the Omicron variant.

Eligible businesses can apply for one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises depending on rateable value:

• Businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or above: £6,000
• Businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000: £4,000
• Businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or below: £2,667

The grant scheme closes to applications on Monday 28 February 2022.

For more information on which businesses are eligible and how to apply to Rochdale Council, please visit:

• www.rochdale.gov.uk/health-and-wellbeing/coronavirus/Pages/covid-19-omicron-hospitality-and-leisure-grant.aspx

More than £11 million in discretionary funding is also being made available for local authorities in the North West to support other businesses.

Business Minister Paul Scully said: “The Omicron variant has been spreading fast and I know how much disruption it has caused many businesses this winter, especially in the hospitality and leisure sectors.

“I’m urging businesses in the North West and across the country to engage with their council to make the most of the grants we’re providing. By making use of the support on offer, looking out for one another, and getting our booster jabs, we can all redouble our efforts to defeat this virus.”

Businesses are encouraged to apply to the council for grant funding which will be administered over the coming weeks.

These grants are the same size as the monthly cash grants government provided to hospitality businesses when they were fully closed earlier this year – whereas now they can continue to trade.

The grant funding forms part of a £1 billion support package which includes an additional £30 million for the Culture Recovery Fund and reintroducing the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme - reimbursing eligible businesses for the cost of Statutory Sick Pay for Covid-related absences.

Businesses eligible for grants are those that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in fixed rate-paying premises, in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors. For example, this includes businesses whose main function is to provide a venue for the consumption and sale of food and drink, those that provide facilities linked to recreation and entertainment, as well as businesses whose main premise is used for holidays and travel.

Other businesses impacted by Omicron, such as those that supply the hospitality and leisure sectors as well as personal care services, are also able to apply for grants with the government allocating more than £100 million to the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) fund for local authorities in England.

Local authorities will have discretion to allocate this funding to businesses most in need.

The Business Secretary has written to those local authorities who have more than 5% leftover from previous ARG funding rounds, instructing them to disburse their remaining funding.