Coronavirus-info

COVID business grants - Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant - Applications now closed

On 21st December 2021 the government announced a new grant scheme to support businesses experiencing difficulties because of the Omicron variant, and the dual impact of staff absences and lower consumer demand.

The primary principle of the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme is to support businesses that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premise, in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors.

The following definitions apply:

Hospitality - A business whose main function is to provide a venue for the consumption and sale of food and drink. Businesses whose main income (greater than 50%) is from takeaway food and drink are ineligible.

Leisure - A business that provides opportunities, experiences and facilities, in particular for culture, recreation, entertainment, celebratory events, days and nights out, betting and gaming. This excludes all retail businesses, coach operators and tour operators, and gyms and sports businesses where physical exercise or training is conducted on an individual basis or group basis.

Accommodation - A business whose main lodging provision is used for holiday, travel and other purposes. This excludes domestic dwellings, education accommodation, residential care homes, residential family centres and beach huts.

The following table provides a list of businesses that meet the above definitions. This list is indicative of the types of businesses but is not exhaustive.

  Support type

Types of businesses

 

  Hospitality

    food courts

  roadside restaurants

 

   public houses/pub restaurants

  wine bars

 

   restaurants

  cafes

  Leisure

  casinos and gambling clubs

  arenas

 

  cinemas

  concert halls

 

  museums and art galleries

  tourist attractions

 

  stately homes & historic houses

  theme parks

 

  theatres

  amusement arcades

 

  zoos and safari parks

  soft play centres or areas

 

  amusement parks 

 

  wedding venues

  clubs and institutions

 

  events venues

  village halls & scout huts

 

  night clubs and discotheques

  cadet huts

Accommodation

  caravan parks

  holiday apartments

 

  caravan sites and pitches

  cottages or bungalows

 

  chalet parks

  campsites

 

  canal boats or other vessels

  boarding houses

 

  country house hotels

  coaching inns

 

  guest houses

  B&Bs

 

  hostels

  catered holiday homes

 

  hotels

  holiday homes

 

  lodges

 

Grants are available to businesses trading on 30th December 2021 as follows:

  • Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on council records and the local rating list with a rateable value of £15,000 or under will receive a payment of £2,667.
  • Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on council records and the local rating list with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000 will receive a payment of £4,000.
  • Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on council records and the local rating list with a rateable value of exactly £51,000 or over will receive a payment of £6,000.

A business will be ineligible for this grant, if:

It is in liquidation, dissolved, struck off or subject to a strike-off notice or under notice

It has reached the Business Grant Subsidy Allowance limit. You will be required to confirm under which subsidy allowance you are receiving the grant. The three subsidy categories are:

  • Small Amounts of Financial Assistance Allowance - You’re allowed up to £335,000 (subject to exchange rates) over any period of 3 years.
  • COVID-19 Business Grant Allowance - You’re allowed up to £1,900,000.COVID-19 Business Grant Special Allowance - If you have reached your limits under the Small Amounts of Financial Assistance Allowance and
  • COVID-19 Business Grant Special Allowance, you may be able to access a further allowance of funding under these scheme rules of up to £10,000,000, provided certain conditions are met.

Further guidance on the Subsidy Allowance limit can be found here

Applications must be received by 18th March 2022.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

Grant income received by the business is taxable. The Council notifies HMRC of all grants paid.

The information provided in this application may be shared with other government departments and private agencies for debt recovery and fraud prevention purposes. The Council’s privacy policy for Covid-19 Business Grants can be found here