ARG Grants Devolved Nations

Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have received equivalent finance through the Barnett Formula for grants to businesses. Below you will find some useful information:

Wales

Local Discretionary Grant – business fund extension

To support businesses who are not registered on the NDR register, a further £30m phase of the Local Discretionary Fund has also been approved and will provide a £2,000 grant. Businesses will need to submit an application to the fund.

This will provide support to sub VAT sole traders without a property who are materially impacted (>40% reduced turnover) as a result of the restrictions, e.g. cleaners providing services to the hospitality industry.
Application forms for the Local Discretionary Grant can be accessed by visiting the relevant local authority website.

You are not eligible for the Discretionary grant if:
• You are eligible for, or have received the Restrictions Business Fund NDR Grant from your Local Authority.
• The business generated less than 50% of your income, the business must be your main source of income.
• You are eligible for a ‘top-up’ payment via the extended Freelancer Fund.
• You have been awarded a Welsh Government Children and Communities grant to cover operating losses between September 2020 and March 2021.
• The total amount of Covid-19 support grants you have received (including any further award through this discretionary fund) exceeds 80% our turnover for a typical year of trading.
Businesses need to confirm how the extended restrictions announced on 29th January by the First Minister will negatively affect their business.
All applications will be considered on an individual basis and payment of the grant is at the absolute discretion of the Local Authority within the criteria set out in the guidance

COVID-19 Economic Resilience Fund

The ERF Sector Specific Grant (operating cost) package is targeted at Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure (HTL) businesses and associated supply chain businesses with 10 or more staff that will be materially impacted by a greater than 60% impact of turnover as a result of on-going alert level 4 restrictions between 25 January 2021 to 31 March 2021.

The funds seeks to complement other COVID-19 response measures to support businesses, social enterprises and charitable organisations in Wales.

Scotland

Local authority discretionary fund

Through this fund, the Scottish Government will provide a one-off grant to each local authority in Scotland for the purposes of providing support to businesses impacted by Coronavirus restrictions. 

Events & tourism industry

At the end of last year, the Scottish Government announced that tourism and hospitality businesses across Scotland were to benefit from a £104.3 million Scottish Government package.

This funding will help a number of tourism and events businesses in key sectors who have received little or no support so far.

Support for freelancers and the events sector

A further £17.5 million of emergency coronavirus (COVID-19) funding has been allocated to support creative freelancers and the events sector.

Of that, £8.5 million will go towards the events sector – distributed through the Pivotal Event Businesses Fund and the Events Industry Support Fund 2 as well as targeted support – bringing the total additional COVID-19 support for the events sector to £31.5 million.

The Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund, which paid out more than £11 million in vital support last year, will also re-open for a second round.

Northern Ireland

Covid Restrictions Business Support Scheme

Financial support for supply chain businesses impacted by customers who are restricted or forced to close/cease trading under the Health Protection Regulations.

Micro-business E-commerce Grant

A new £3 million fund to help retail micro-businesses in Northern Ireland looking to grow their business online.