Latest Update Coronavirus

Business Support – Latest Updates

RBKC’s e-newsletter, 25.01.2022.

Get alerts to latest support including grants, subscribe to Business Matters published by RBKC’s communications team here.  Also follow RBKC on Twitter. 

The Government’s Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme is now open. The Government announced the new grant scheme on Tuesday 21 December to support hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses that are experiencing difficulties because of the Omicron variant.

Please refer to the GOV.UK website for the full breakdown of businesses that are eligible for the grant, as outlined in ‘Annex A’. Please note, gyms and retail and personal care businesses are not eligible for this grant.

The scheme is a one-off grant, and the value of the grant will be dependent on the rateable value of your premises:

  • £2,667 for those with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 or under
  • £4,000 for those with a rateable over £15,000 and less than £51,000
  • £6,000 for those with a rateable value of exactly £51,000 or over

The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme aims to support eligible businesses that offer face to face services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premises, in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors. 

The business must also have been trading on 30 December 2021. Full details on eligibility can be found in this pdf document on the GOV.UK website. The grant may be taxable and will be subject to Subsidy Control Limits.

If you have more than one business rates account, you must submit an application for each account, payment will not be made without an application being completed.

The application form can be accessed and completed here within the section ‘New business support fund for those impacted by Omicron’

The scheme will close for applications on Monday 14 March 2022 at 5.30pm. Please note that applications received after the closing date will not be considered so do ensure to submit prior to the deadline.

If your application is successful, a payment will be made by BACs and you will receive a remittance advice from the email address: ‘RBKC.payments@hants.gov.uk’ and will quote the business rates account number and grant scheme the payment relates to, for example “Ref: 123456789 OHLG”. All payments will be made by Thursday 31 March 2022, as per the Government instructions.

As businesses continue to operate post-pandemic, we want to make sure that you have all of the guidance and support you need. You can keep up to date with information on safe reopening on our website at www.rbkc.gov.uk/reopening-business. 

You also can receive information and updates on support for businesses straight to your inbox by subscribing to the Council’s fortnightly Business Matters enewsletter.

If you have any further queries relating to this grant, please email: OHLgrant@rbkc.gov.uk

Quick links:

RBKC Pavement licences.  Register via the Council website.

RBKC Hospitality business helpline is 020 7361 2161.  Open Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm for help with matters directly related to re-opening.  Please leave a message.

RBKC One Place for Business.  Links you to all the business information pages on our website, including Covid19 support for businesses

Business Membership Organisations and Trade Associations.  Providing support for specific sectors e.g. Arts, Architecture, Aviation and many more.  See list here.

London Business Hub. Advice for London based businesses. www.businesshub.london with an EU Post-Transition Business Resource Hub.  Also on Twitter

Greater London Authority.  Crowdfund for your small business with Pay it Forward

UK Government Financial Support. Use the checker tool to find out what coronavirus financial support is available for you.  The Recovery Loan Scheme loans varying in size from £25,000, up to a maximum of £10 million.