New support grant for businesses amid Omicron concerns

Birmingham City Council is continuing to deliver its mission to support independent businesses with a new round of business grants.

Following the Government’s latest announcement, businesses impacted by Omicron in Birmingham can now apply for the funding from a new grant scheme.

The council has received more than £8.3million from Government for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme, enabling further support to struggling businesses during the pandemic.

Businesses in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors in England will be eligible for one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises (see detail in table below). In addition to this, more than £1.5 million discretionary funding support is now available for other businesses.

Councillor Brigid Jones, Deputy Leader at Birmingham City Council has said:

“We know times are still very hard for Birmingham businesses, and we’ve been listening to the community so we can lobby Government for the support Birmingham needs as the pandemic goes on. We are pleased that the latest round of grants has now gone live.

“We must stress to businesses that the clock is ticking to get applications in as soon as possible as applications will only be live for a limited period of time. Businesses need to ensure they are eligible for a grant and provide all required evidence as part of their application. We know this won’t go far enough for many, and will continue to lobby on your behalf.”

Omicron grants will be a one-off payment based on the rateable value (RV) of premises as follows:

Businesses will need to submit an application via the website (Link to be included) and ensure that all supporting evidence is also included. The deadline to apply for a grant is Monday 28 February 2022.

Work is underway to assess the criteria for the discretionary funding. Details will be provided on the website as soon as possible.