Restart Grant Scheme

Key Points of Restart Grant Scheme

• The scheme is available from this month and businesses can apply via their local council’s website
• Eligible non-essential retail businesses can claim a grant of up to £6,000 per premises
• The scheme is scheduled to come to an end on June 21, 2021, when the government plans to lift all lockdown restrictions in England

Restart Grants are a one-off cash grant available from this month to hard-hit hospitality,

accommodation, leisure, personal care (ie hairdressers and beauty salons) and gym businesses in

England with premises that are trying to reopen and get back on their feet following the latest

lockdown.

The Restart Grant scheme replaces both the monthly Local Restrictions Support Grant and Local Restrictions Support Grant, which closed at the end of March. The scheme is scheduled to come to an end on June 21, 2021, when the government plans to lift all lockdown restrictions in England.

 To be eligible for the Restart Grant your business must:

• Be based in England
• Operate from property on which it pays business rates
• Have been forced to close because of the national lockdown from 5 January 2021 or between 5 November and 2 December 2020
• Have been unable to provide its normal in­person customer service from its premises.

Additionally, in the scheme criteria published by Government, businesses should have been trading on April 1, 2021.

The Government has confirmed that even if your business re-opens as early as 12th April, you will still be eligible for a Restart Grant. The scheme reflects the impact of closures during lockdown, not the date that a business re-opens.

Grant payments

Eligible non-essential retail businesses can claim a grant of up to £6,000 per premises.

Businesses in the hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care, and fitness sectors may claim a grant of up to £18,000 per premises depending on their rateable value:

• If your rateable value is £15,000 or less, you can claim up to £8,000
• If it’s between £15,000 and £51,000, you can receive up to £12,000
• If your rateable value is over £51,000 then you can claim up to £18,000

Grants do not need to be repaid, but they will be treated as profits and may be subject to tax.

How to apply for a Restart Grant

If you believe that your small business is eligible to apply for the Restart Grant, visit your local council’s website for more information, as local authority’s have been given responsibility for distributing the grant funding.