Omicron Additional Restrictions Grant funding applications invited

Applications from eligible businesses in Cheshire West and Chester to access Omicron Additional Restrictions Grant funding are now open.

Eligibility criteria and grant application forms can be found at:

https://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/news-and-views/incidents/coronavirus-covid-19/business-information/financial-support-for-businesses.aspx

The Government announced on 21 December 2021 that additional support will be made available to businesses in England that are experiencing difficulties because of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and the dual impact of staff absences and lower consumer demand. This was announced at the same time as the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant which supports businesses in those sectors and have a rateable value on their premises. An invitation to apply for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant was issued on 6 January.

The Omicron Additional Restrictions Grant is in the form of a one-off grant scheme and the council has been allocated £543,000 to distribute borough wide.

The online application process will be open from Wednesday 12 January until Sunday 20 February 2022. Payments will be made as quickly as possible with all funds fully allocated by 31 March 2022.

The Council will limit payments from its Additional Restrictions Grant schemes to support businesses who are not eligible for support through the Government’s Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant Scheme or Restart Grant scheme.

Councillor Carol Gahan Cabinet Member for Legal and Finance said: “This grant will go some way toward helping businesses continuing to be affected by COVID-19 and who do not have premises with a rateable value.

The emergence of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 delivered another terrible blow to the trade of so many of our local businesses. It is our priority to get funding out to those businesses in need as soon as we possibly can and so I would urge businesses to apply as soon as they are able”.