21 Jul More grants available to support Harlow businesses
New grants are available to Harlow businesses affected by the delays to the full easing of COVID restrictions.
Essex County Council have provided Harlow Council with further funding to extend the Additional Business Support (ABS) scheme.
The extended scheme supports Harlow businesses that have not been included in the existing national and local coronavirus financial support schemes or where income, including financial support, has been unable to cover business costs, especially as a result of the delay in relaxation of the restrictions.
The ABS grant is separate to the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) for business. The council has been reviewing the ARG policy and further announcements, including consultation on the scheme, will be made in the near future. Anyone applying for the ABS grant from Essex County Council will not be prohibited from applying in the future for ARG funding, nor will it prejudice businesses from making a claim under that scheme.
The grants have been welcomed by Councillor Russell Perrin, Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance, who said: “We are grateful to Essex County Council for this much-needed funding. The scheme will support those businesses who were hoping to get back to business, but have been impacted by the decision to delay the ending of restrictions. These grants will provide a very important financial lifeline in helping and reassuring Harlow businesses who may have missed out on other schemes. This council is determined to ensure that businesses in our town get the help they need, because it is essential to the livelihoods of the people they employ and of critical importance to our town’s economic recovery.”
The funding provides grants of up to £5,000 depending on business size. Under the extended scheme any previous award of Additional Business Support funding will count towards this funding cap.
To be eligible for Additional Business Support, businesses must:
· Have been trading on 1 January 2020, before the start of the pandemic.
· Have continued to be adversely affected by the pandemic (for example, reductions to customer or sale numbers and reduction in cash flow so that meeting day to day working capital requirements has become unaffordable and unsustainable).
· Be located within Harlow in Essex (no requirement to be occupying rateable premises).
· Have been excluded from accessing other coronavirus financial support schemes or income, including financial support and has been unable to cover fixed costs.
More information on the grant and how to apply can be found at www.harlow.gov.uk/cornavirus/business
Applications for this support are open until 5pm on 21 July 2021. No payments will be made until after the closing date.
