Published: 11 Jun 20
Applications are now open for small businesses in Waverley that have suffered losses due to COVID-19, to receive grants from the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund.
The Government has given £1.6million to Waverley Borough Council, to support eligible small businesses that have not been able to receive other COVID-19 grants. Businesses have until 9am on Friday 19 June to apply.
Councils have been asked to prioritise businesses in shared spaces, regular market traders, small charity properties and bed and breakfasts that pay council tax rather than business rates. However, the government has also given councils discretion to make awards to other businesses that have experienced financial difficulties as a result of the Coronavirus.
Full information on the eligibility criteria and how to apply is available on the council’s website: www.waverley.gov.uk/discretionarygrants
This latest round of support is in addition to the £21 million in Small Business and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure grants the council has already distributed to businesses across Waverley.
Councillor Liz Townsend, Waverley Borough Council Portfolio Holder for Economic Development, Parks and Leisure, said: “We know there are many small businesses in the borough that are really struggling as a result of Coronavirus and have not been eligible for any Government financial support up to this point.
“This is an opportunity for us to direct more funding to local businesses in need and help them to survive these challenging times.
“It’s incredibly important to protect our businesses now, so that they can be there for our communities long into the future, providing services, offering employment and ensuring economic prosperity for our borough.”
Councillor Mark Merryweather, Portfolio Holder for Finance, Assets and Commercial Services at Waverley Borough Council, said: “The £1.6million of funding from Government is helpful but does fall short of what we’d like to be able to distribute to small businesses.
“Councils have been allowed some discretion to consider local circumstances when awarding funds, as demand is expected to be higher than the total amount available. We have been working with councils Surrey-wide, to ensure a fair and consistent approach to the way we prioritise applications across the county.
“We’ll be working hard to distribute this money as fairly as possible, to maximise the benefit to our local businesses and communities.”
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