4th January 2022 – UPDATE
Dear Member
UPDATE – ENGLAND
The Guidance on the new Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant and the additional ARG Grant have been published over the Christmas and New Year break.
Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant – The grant eligibility is largely the same as previous grants to hospitality and leisure businesses. The key features are:
- Businesses with a rateable value of up to £15k will get £2,667
- Businesses with a rateable value above £15k but less than £51k will get £4,000
- Businesses with a rateable value over £51k will get £6,000
- Leisure business are defined as a business that provide opportunities, experiences and facilities, in particular for culture, recreation, entertainment, celebratory events and days and nights out
Amusement arcades are listed as eligible businesses in the guidance which can be found here:
Additional Restrictions Grant – The new guidance for the additional £102m ARG funding is also very similar to the previous guidance. This third top-up is being allocated to councils on a per business basis, as per previous tranches. This is the grant for which single site operators, manufacturers and distributors can obtain. Some of the key features are:
- Unlike previous tranches, councils are not allowed to use this new funding for business support activities so all funding must be given to businesses as grants payments.
- All ARG funding, including this tranche, need to be dispersed by 31 March 2022
- Businesses must self-certify that they meet all eligibility criteria and Local Authorities must verify the evidence provided as part of prepayment checks
- Councils are specifically encouraged to provide funding for hospitality.
- There is no restriction on the number of grants a business may receive, subject to subsidy limits.
Full details can be found here:
Kind regards
John