New hope for help for small businesses in Rother

Many businesses like B&Bs, holiday lets and micro businesses have failed to qualify for any of the government help made available to others. This has impacted on these small businesses, who often operate with quite precarious finances; or for whom the income generated serves as a retirement income, or vital additional income to supplement other work which may also have been curtailed during the pandemic lockdown.

The good news is that B&Bs, self-contained holiday lets and micro businesses in Rother, are now able to apply to benefit from financial support with the launch of a new grant scheme.

The authority is now urging those not eligible for other support grants to apply for a share of Discretionary Business Grant’s £1.47 million pot. The funding will be prioritised for bed and breakfasts and self-contained holiday lets registered for council tax rather than business rates, small businesses in shared offices or workspaces, regular market traders and charity properties in receipt of business rates relief.

Cllr Christine Bayliss, Rother District Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration, said: “As restrictions begin to ease, we know that many businesses across the district will face challenges in getting back on their feet and operating in line with the latest Government guidance.

“We have been able to support more than 2,000 businesses with the Small Business Grant Fund and Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Fund, but we know there are hundreds of small businesses unable to access that support which are suffering from a significant drop in income due to the ongoing crisis.

“Getting financial support to those who need it is vital to help our local economy begin to recover, secure the future for hundreds of local businesses and secure thousands of jobs. I would urge any businesses which haven’t been able to benefit from the current schemes to consider applying for a share of the latest pot of funding.”

The closing date for applications is Sunday, June 21. Grants will be paid after this date to enable overall demand to be assessed. Further rounds of applications will be opened up should there be any remaining funding.

To find out more about the financial support available, and to apply for the Discretionary Business Grant, visit www.rother.gov.uk/business/information-for-businesses/