Nottingham City Council stands ready to administer a new Government grant scheme to support local hospitality and leisure businesses which are struggling since the emergence of the Omicron strain of Covid and associated restrictions.

The Chancellor has today announced that additional support will be available for businesses who have been impacted by the Omicron variant.

Nottingham City Council will review the guidance from Government and announce any scheme or application, likely to be in the New Year.

The package of support includes a new grant scheme for businesses in hospitality and leisure, a top up to the Additional Restrictions Grant, the reintroduction of the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme and further funding released through the Culture Recovery Fund.

  • Businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in England will be eligible for one-off grants of £2,700,  £4,000 and £6,000 per premises depending on rateable value.
  • More than £100 million discretionary funding will be made available via the Additional Restrictions Grant for local authorities in England to support other businesses. Allocation of this funding will be at local authority discretion.
  • Government will also cover the cost of Statutory Sick Pay for Covid-related absences for small and medium-sized employers across the UK. Businesses with fewer than 250 employees will be able to apply for reimbursement for the cost of Statutory Sick Pay for Covid-related absences, for up to two weeks per employee. Firms will be eligible for the scheme from today and they will be able to make claims retrospectively from mid-January.
  • £30 million further funding will be made available through the Culture Recovery Fund – cultural organisations in England such as theatres, orchestras and museums can apply for support during the winter.

The Chancellor has asked HMRC to offer businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in particular the option of a short delay through the Time to Pay arrangement, and payment in instalments, on a case by case basis, as part of this.

The City Council will provide information on how eligible businesses can apply once further details are known. Updates will be provided on the council’s website and through the council’s Nottingham Economic Recovery Unit newsletter which businesses can sign up for here.