Additional restrictions grant

What is the additional restrictions grant?

Keep an eye on your local authority’s website for additional funding that you may be entitled to.  The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) was a grant we heard a lot about last year.  Some of you may even have received a grant through this scheme.  It is now intended to provide local councils with grant funding to support businesses that are severely impacted by coronavirus restrictions and the rise of the Omicron variant. Funding was first made available to local authorities in financial year 2020 to 2021 and can be used across financial years 2020 to 2021 and 2021 to 2022. Guidance states that local authorities are encouraged to distribute funding to businesses which require support as soon as possible though.  All ARG funding, including this tranche, needs to be out of the local authorities’ bank accounts by 31 March 2022.

Who is entitled to the funding?

Well, local councils have the freedom to determine the eligibility criteria for these grants. However, we expect the funding to help businesses that are severely impacted by the restrictions and the rise of the Omicron variant.

Some things to note are:

• Businesses must self-certify that they meet all eligibility criteria. We understand from some people this is quite an onerous process and certainly more detailed than for previous grants.
• Councils are specifically encouraged to provide funding for hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care, the travel and tourism sector, including group travel, travel agents and tour operators, coach operators, wedding industries, nightclubs, theatres, events industries, wholesalers, English language schools, breweries, freelance and mobile businesses (including caterers, events, hair, beauty and wedding related businesses), gyms, and other businesses that may have not received other grant funding.
• In taking decisions on the appropriate level of grant, Local Authorities may want to take into account the level of fixed costs of the business, the number of employees the business has, whether it is unable to trade online and the consequent scale of coronavirus losses.

Please note that you cannot get funding if:

• Your business is in administration, insolvent or has been struck off the Companies House register.
• You have exceeded the permitted subsidy allowance.

You should also be aware that you must notify your local council if your situation changes and you no longer meet the eligibility criteria, for example, if you become insolvent.

Visit your local council’s website to find out how to apply.

The content of part of this article was provided from the guidance on .gov.uk updated on 31 December 2021 by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy.