The government is introducing a new grant scheme to support businesses that are experiencing difficulties because of the Omicron variant, and the dual impact of staff absences and lower consumer demand.
Hospitality (defined as accommodation, food & beverage services) and leisure premises will benefit from targeted grant support. The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) will also be topped up so local authorities (LAs) can continue to use their discretion to support other businesses in their area, based on local economic need.
Nationally the support is broken down as follows:
- £683 million for targeted grants for hospitality and leisure businesses in England
- £102 million top-up for the Additional Restrictions Grant
- £30 million for Culture Recovery Fund
- Funding for the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate scheme will be additional to these amounts
- Further information will be available in the published factsheet.
Torbay Council is aware of the new business support and is awaiting confirmation as to the funding allocation for Torbay and eligibility criteria. Information is available on their website and will be updated as more details come available.