Discretionary Fund is now launched

The Government is making additional funding available to allow further support for small businesses. This money is in addition to the Small Business Grants Funds and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund announced last month.

The Discretionary Grant Fund

Runnymede Borough Council will use this funding to support the following prioritised businesses:

Small businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces such as industrial parks, science parks, incubators etc, which do not have their own business rates assessment, and

  • Regular market traders who do not have their own business rates assessment,
  • B&Bs which pay Council Tax instead of business rates, and
  • Charity properties in receipt of charitable business rates relief which would otherwise have been eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rate Relief

The Government has also given the Council, discretion to make support payments to businesses outside of the above list.

These grants can only go to:

  • Businesses with ongoing fixed building-related costs,
  • Businesses which can demonstrate that they have suffered a significant fall in income due to the Covid-19 crisis,
  • Businesses with fewer than 50 employees,
  • Businesses operating from a relevant non-domestic premises with a Rateable Value below £51,000
  • Businesses that were trading on or before 11 March 2020

In addition, businesses which are eligible for the existing grant schemes will be ineligible. Businesses which received the Small Business Grant Fund (where businesses in England who are in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) and Rural Rates Relief (RRR) in the business rates system were eligible for a payment) are also ineligible for this Discretionary Grant Fund.

In Runnymede, Discretionary Grant funding will be capped to a maximum of £10,000. If the fund is oversubscribed, the Council reserves the right to amend grant levels on a pro-rata basis, based on the applications received and approved as a way of dealing fairly with the situation.

Applications and supporting evidence should be received by 23 June 2020. Applications received after this date will not be considered.

After reading our Discretionary Grant Fund Policy [704.28KB] if you meet the criteria, you can apply for a Local Authority Discretionary Grant Online here

You can get further information about the top-up to local business grant funds scheme on the Government website.

For previously announced support packages, the Council remains committed to supporting businesses across the Borough at this difficult time and is implementing the Government's plans in full so businesses will receive the support which they are entitled to.