Information for businesses

Below you can find all the information you need about the cash grants that are available from the Government, including what action you need to take, if any. For more information please look at the business grants frequently asked questions

• Small business grants
• Retail, hospitality and leisure grants
• Discretionary Grants Funding Scheme

In response to Coronavirus (COVID-19), the Government announced there would be support for micro and small businesses. The Discretionary Grants Fund is primarily aimed at small businesses not eligible for the Small Business Grant Fund or the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Fund and suffering financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19.

Southampton City Council will be delivering this funding to businesses and aim to open an online application form to eligible businesses week commencing 1 June 2020. We will also publish eligibility criteria along with a list of prioritised businesses on our website in due course. More information about the Discretionary Grants Funding Scheme.

The Government is continually releasing new and updated guidance. Please see the UK government response and coronavirus action plan for the latest information. Here are some examples:

• Government travel advice
• Government guidance for health professionals
• Guidance on business rates: expanded retail discount
• Guidance for residential care, supported living and home care
• Guidance for educational settings
• Guidance for hostel or day centres for people rough sleeping
• Guidance for shipping and sea ports
• Guidance for staff in the transport sector
• Guidance for hospital discharge services
  

Councillor Christopher Hammond, Leader at Southampton City Council, will be sending a letter to all businesses with advice and information about Coronavirus (COVID-19) which should arrive from 3 April (depending on postal system). You can find a copy of this letter here.

To receive the most up-to-date news for businesses you can sign up to our Business News e-newsletter.

Last updated: 06 April 2020

The government has issued guidance to public bodies (PPN 02/20) relating to payment of their suppliers to ensure service continuity during and after the current COVID-19 outbreak. The council has produced the following letter which sets out the approach we are taking in respect of paying and working with our suppliers during this challenging time.

Also included below is PPN 02/20 and the related FAQs

• PPN 02/20
• PPN 02/20 FAQs
• COVID-19 pandemic and payments to supplier letter

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

There is a new ‘Workers Support’ package to help pay people’s wages. Employers who cannot cover staff costs can apply to HMRC for a grant to cover most of the wages of ‘retained’ employees who are not working which will enable them to be kept on the payroll rather than being laid off or made redundant.

The support package means:

• Employers can apply for a grant to cover 80 per cent of a ‘retained’ employee’s wages up to a maximum of £2,500 a month
• Support will be backdated to 1 March 2020 and will be available for at least 3 months and will be extended if necessary
• The scheme will be available to all employers across the UK including charitable or non-profit will be eligible for the scheme

See more information and how to apply

Bounce Back loans

The Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) enables smaller businesses to access finance more quickly during the coronavirus outbreak.

See more information and how to apply

Self-Employment Income Support Scheme

If you're self-employed or a member of a partnership and have been adversely affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) use this scheme if you're eligible to claim the grant.

See more information and how to apply

Further information

You can read the Government's information about the support available including grant funding, statutory sick pay measures, and reliefs on business rates. There is also guidance for employers and businesses including how you can help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and what to do if an employee becomes ill. You might also be interested in more information about business rates from the council.

If you can’t pay us your council tax, business rates, commercial rents or any other council bill, please get in touch to look at what options we have to support you. You can also read the information above about government support. For a temporary period until the end of May 2020 we suspended all recovery action to reduce the pressure you are experiencing and to give you time to get support e.g. from the Government’s furlough scheme and business grants. Now other support is available, from 1 June 2020 we will be starting recovery action again.

We still want to support you as much as we can and know that you may still be struggling financially because of Coronavirus. So we will be talking to you about affordable payment options that are based on your personal circumstances. We will be using a mixture of phone calls, letters and texts. We will avoid taking more formal action as much as we possibly can.

For those paying commercial rents please contact your case worker in the Customer Payment and Debt Team.

• Building control surveyors are working remotely but are available on their mobile phones and email – view contact details
• All new building regulation applications should be submitted electronically at Submit-a-Plan
• Site inspection requests will be risk assessed to determine whether a site visit is safe and necessary or whether compliance can be determined by alternative means such as photographic evidence

All of GO! Southampton’s patrolling services such as their ranger, cleaning and security teams are continuing to operate and are available to assist their member businesses. Visit GO! Southampton for the latest information.

As a manager or business owner you’ll be dealing with a lot business concerns as well as personal ones. Even so, your staff will still be looking to you for leadership. How you communicate, manage, motivate and support them now will affect how they cope with these changed times. It will also impact current and future business performance.

Wellbeing@Work gives information and links to help you to support staff health, wellbeing, motivation and performance so they can support your business.

You can find information and links, and sign up to our e-newsletter, on the Wellbeing@Work webpages.

Most public events and gatherings are being cancelled or postponed following government advice, so check ahead if you have booked into a training or conference event of any kind in the near future.