South Ribble Borough Council (SRBC) is supporting local businesses during the Covid-19 crisis.
SRBC staff are delivering the government grant schemes, providing business rate relief and offering advice and signposting businesses to the latest information to help them during this difficult time.
The business support team has dealt with over 2200 enquiries from businesses helping them to access grants and information relevant for their business.
The Small Business Grant attracted over 1200 applications, the majority of which have all now been processed by our team and should be with the businesses by the end of this week.
The payments processed through this scheme amount to more than £10 million in grant funding.
We are aware that there are still eligible businesses out there who have not applied.
The council encourage all businesses that think they are eligible and haven’t submitted an application to please contact businessgrants@southribble.gov.uk.
The second grant scheme is the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure grant for businesses that would normally be open to the public.
The council have identified the eligible South Ribble businesses and written to them with a unique code to use in their application.
Any business that believes it is eligible and hasn’t received a letter or email by 22 April is asked to contact businessgrants@southribble.gov.uk
Councillor Paul Foster, Leader of South Ribble Borough Council said: “Our staff are continuing to work around the clock to make sure that South Ribble businesses get the support they urgently require and receive the grant funding payments they need as quickly as possible.
“I am really pleased that we have been able to help so many local businesses already with the initiatives we have set up and we will continue to do whatever is required.
“South Ribble businesses can be assured that we will offer all the help and support we can for as long as necessary during this really difficult time.
“We are all in this together – I urge you all to get in touch if you require further support.”
A further 360 businesses have been identified who will benefit from the 100% expanded retail relief which equates to over £10 million in support.
For businesses that are tenants of the council’s buildings they have granted a rent-free period up to the end of June 2020 which has benefitted over 100 extra businesses.
The SRBC team is there to help all businesses in South Ribble – whatever their size or sector – the latest information for business can be found on their website www.southribble.gov.uk/coronavirus-information-business
