1st April 2020

Information for local businesses & the self employed

The Mayor of Bradford on Avon, Cllr Simon McNeill-Ritchie, has recorded a film with advice for local businesses and the self employed which you can view below:

https://youtu.be/E5JuTPaGRrE

Useful links that he mentions in the film, and more, are as follows:

Gov.uk Business Support

To find out about the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) visit British Business Bank

http://wiltshire.gov.uk/public-health-coronavirus

To Defer paying council tax and business rates until June due to COVID-19 visit: http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/benefits-council-tax

If you work in the Arts and need emergency funding or information visit https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/covid19

To view local business opening times and/or delivery services in Bradford on Avon CLICK HERE

To tell us about revised business opening times and/or delivery services in Bradford on Avon email our Communications Manager

If your business is based in or around Bradford on Avon you can submit an online event via https://www.bradfordonavon.co.uk/whats-on/register/

UPDATE (3rd April 2020)

We understand that Wiltshire Council (WC) has sent out over 8,000 letters to business who are eligible for either the:

Small business grant schemes (£10,000)
For businesses that pay little or no businesses rates, the Small Business Grant Scheme will provide a one-off grant of £10,000 to businesses in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) and rural rates relief.Or,

The Retail and Hospitality Grant Scheme (£25,000)

The Retail and Hospitality Grant Scheme provides businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors with a cash grant of up to £25,000 per property.

The letters ask people to complete an online form, accessed via a dedicated grants webpage http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/business-advice-support-covid19, so that WC can ensure the grants are issued appropriately and help minimise fraud. Around £1.5m has been issued today (2 April 2020) as WC started to release vital funds to support businesses struggling during the coronavirus outbreak.

WC are aware that many businesses are not open. If they think they are eligible they can complete the webform without the need to pick up their letter http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/business-advice-support-covid19. They will not be disadvantaged by not having the letter.

WC have also set up a dedicated contact centre for COVID-19 business support and businesses who have queries on the grant process or require further information and advice can contact us on Covid-19BusinessSupport@wiltshire.gov.uk.

Self Employed

We also remind self-employed business people that if they have not already done so, they need to submit their accounts for 2018-19 by 23 April 2020 if they are to be considered for grant relief.

UPDATE (6th April 2020)

Wiltshire Council have received a £106,328,000 grant from central government to support local businesses during the coronavirus outbreak.

Over the past week they have:

– sent out over 8,000 letters to businesses eligible for these grants;

– received over 3,100 applications which are currently being assessed;

– issued over £2.6 million to local businesses (this is slightly ahead of schedule as they were initially planning to release funds from Monday 6 April onwards);

– trained 40 members of staff to assess applications.

They have received approximately 650 enquiries from businesses asking about the grant process, eligibility or wider support available. Twelve members of staff have been assigned to respond to these emails. If you have any queries about the eligibility of your own business, or have not received the letter, email Covid-19BusinessSupport@wiltshire.gov.uk

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