Hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses across Bath and North East Somerset that have been impacted by the Omicron variant of coronavirus are being offered grant support.
B&NES Council is setting up an application process and reminding businesses to check what they may be able to receive once the system is in place.
Grants of up to £6,000 are being made available, based on the rateable value of the business.
Deputy council leader and cabinet member for resources, Councillor Richard Samuel, said: “The Government made an announcement about support for hospitality, leisure and accommodation business in the week leading up to the Christmas break but we were not given any detail about how the scheme, which councils have to administer, would work.
“We have been wating to find out more about the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant and now that we have it we will work as quickly as we possibly can to set up an application process to make sure businesses in Bath and North East Somerset, that meet the eligibility criteria, get the funding they desperately need.”
Businesses are eligible for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme from 30th December 2021.
Local authorities are not allowed to make payments to businesses before this date.
Businesses must have been trading on 30th December 2021 to be eligible to receive funding under the scheme.
The eligibility criteria for the payment of the grants are determined by central government.
Businesses will only be eligible where their main service falls within hospitality, leisure, or accommodation sectors.
The amounts payable for the grant are based on the rateable value of the business as follows:
Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant amounts
(Rateable value of business – grant amount)
- £0 to £15,000 – £2,667
- £15,001 to £51,000 – £4,000
- £51,001 and above – £6,000
A further round of Additional Restrictions Grants will now also be available for other businesses.
The criteria for the eligibility of this grant is currently being developed. Again, a further applications process will be required to administer this grant and the council’s Covid-19 pages will be updated once the criteria and application have been developed.
Updates will be posted here.
