Support, Advice and Funding

Restart Grants

The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced ‘Restart’ business support grants in his Budget on 3 March 2021.

One-off Restart Grants will only be available to eligible businesses occupying properties on 1 April 2021 which have a rateable value. The Restart Grant is intended to support businesses to re-open safely as coronavirus restrictions are eased. Please see the full Restart Grant policy to see if your business meets the sector criteria.

Non-essential retail businesses may be eligible for the following amounts, if they are occupying a property with a rateable value:

Hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses may be eligible for the following amounts, if they are occupying a property with a rateable value:

Businesses will need to fill in a new application form to claim their Restart Grant. You will need to provide satisfactory evidence and satisfy state aid rules.  Please note that you will need to include a list of all COVID grants previously received. Any grant award received is subject to HMRC tax conditions.

Apply online for the Restart Grant

Local Restrictions Support Grants (Closed) for businesses legally required to close from 16 February 2021 to 31 March 2021

This grant is to support businesses that are in the ratings list for Business Rates and have a rateable value, as grants are awarded based on the rateable value of the business.

Period of entitlement is from 16 February 2021 to 31 March 2021. Grants were distributed on 5 March to businesses that were previously in receipt of the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed).

In order to be eligible your business must:

• Have a business rates account, have been legally required to close (for example non-essential retail, leisure, personal care, sports facilities and hospitality businesses) and have been significantly impacted by lockdown restrictions for the period of local entitlement 16 February 2021 to 31 March 2021 (National Lockdown).

This is a 44 day award period. The grant amounts shown in the following table are fixed.

If you have not applied for a Local Restrictions Support Grant since November 2020, then please complete this Local/National Restrictions Support Grant online application form.

Applications close on 31 May.

Local Restrictions Support Grants (Closed) for businesses legally required to close from 5 January 2021 to 15 February 2021 (National Lockdown 3)

This grant scheme closed for applications on 31 March.

Closed Businesses Lockdown Payment (one-off top-up grants)

This grant scheme closed for applications on 31 March.

Local Restrictions Support Grants (Closed) for businesses legally required to close from 20 December 2020 to 4 January 2021 (Tier 4)

This grant scheme closed for applications on 31 March.

Local Restrictions Support Grants (Closed) for businesses legally required to close from 16 December 2020 to 19 December 2020 (Tier 3)

This grant scheme closed for applications on 31 March.

Local Restrictions Support Grants (Closed) for businesses legally required to close from 5 November 2020 to 2 December 2020 (National Lockdown)

This grant scheme closed for applications on 31 March.

Additional Restrictions Grants (Discretionary)

On 31 October, the government announced that Brentwood Borough Council would receive £1.54m for one-off payments to enable to support businesses more broadly. On 5 January, the Chancellor announced an additional top up to this scheme. On 11 March, Essex County Council announced a further £186k top up to the Brentwood Additional Restrictions Grant scheme.

We have given out discretionary grants in three windows that have run from 25 November 2020 to 10 January 2021, from 11 January 2021 to 21 February 2021 and from 22 February 2021 to 11 April 2021.

We will soon be opening a fourth window of Additional Restrictions Grants. Sign up to receive an alert when the grant scheme re-opens.

Essex Business Adaptation Grants

Essex County Council has allocated £132,000 in financial support to help the businesses in the borough of Brentwood who have been impacted by COVID-19 restrictions.

This grant is to help businesses required to close or impacted by the social restrictions imposed at the HIGH Alert (Tier 2) level from 15 October.

The funding will allow businesses to adapt their premises and operations so that they can continue to operate and generate an income while restrictions are in place.

Business eligibility:

Customer facing businesses including but not limited to hospitality and retail businesses and personal contact services will be able to apply for this scheme.

To qualify for this grant, your business is a business within the borough of Brentwood which:

• has fixed property related costs
• was open and trading on 4 November 2020
• was required to close or was severely impacted by the social restrictions imposed at HIGH Alert from 15 October 2020
• is categorised as micro, small or medium sized
• operates in a COVID secure way
• has a current and relevant certificate to show compliance with the laws and regulations relevant to its trade

Businesses cannot apply if 

• they were in administration
• are insolvent
• were given a striking off notice at the date of the restriction. 
• they have already received grant payments that equal the maximum levels of State Aid.

Grants of £500, £1,000 and £1,500 are available. We will award them based on individual business needs.

We will award a grant of £500 for:

• the production of promotional material to encourage customers to follow COVID secure guidelines (e.g. floor stickers, leaflets, adverts and signage)

• training of staff on courses associated with the adaptations or changes

We will award a grant of £1,000 for:

• adjustments or improvements to the physical environment to help keep staff and customers safe (e.g. sanitiser stations, protective screens and barriers)

We will award a grant of £1,500 for:

• the creation and running of an online presence (e.g. a digital technology platform) in order to offer ‘click and collect’ or delivery services
• the purchase of equipment to diversify operation and generate income - examples include, but are not limited to:
  • Outdoor furniture, canopies, patio heaters and lighting
  • Relocation of existing internal fixtures and fittings
  • Motion sensors on doors
  • Cycles to provide a delivery service

Grant conditions: Businesses can spend this grant on items ordered after 15 October 2020 or up to 28 days after the grant award is made. Please note that PPE, hand sanitiser refills and disposable items are excluded from this scheme.

Please note: Brentwood's initial Business Adaptation funding allocation of £132,000 has now been allocated. Brentwood Council has requested further funding for this scheme from Essex County Council. You can still apply and, if successful, will be added to a waitlist. When we receive further funding, you will be contacted.

To apply to join the waitlist, please complete the Essex Business Adaptation Grant online application form.

Brentwood Open / Shenfield Open / Ingatestone Open posters

We have produced a library of COVID-19 Secure posters for shops, restaurants, pubs, salons and offices to download and print.

Business support packages

Visit GOV.UK for the latest information on the government’s business support packages.

Guidance on further businesses and premises to close

View the current guidance on which businesses and premises must close and the exceptions to each category.

Guidance on getting back to work safely

Information and advice for both employers and employees is available on our Getting Back to Work Safely web page.

Helpful resources for employers and employees

• Coronavirus business support from government
• the BEST Growth Hub, who can signpost businesses to further sources of financial support
• the Federation of Small Businesses, who give advice and guidance for small businesses and the self-employed
• the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP), who link to support available for businesses

Business helplines

• You can contact the government’s Business Support Helpline for free advice on 0300 456 3565. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm
• HMRC operates a helpline for businesses on 0800 0159 559.

Receive alerts about local business support

Sign up to receive alerts from Brentwood Borough Council about business support, advice and funding.

Contact the Brentwood Borough Council Economic Development team

If you need further assistance email business@brentwood.gov.uk with your enquiry.