Small businesses in Horsham District receive funding support

Horsham District Council, at a Cabinet Meeting last night (Thursday 4 June), approved a Discretionary Small Business Funds Scheme to enable distribution of money given by the Government to support small businesses in Horsham District affected by the COVID-19 lock down, and not helped under any other scheme.

A fund of some £1.43m is available for the Council to distribute under this new scheme.

The scheme incorporates the priorities set by the Government in its guidance:

Small businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces. Examples could include units in industrial parks, science parks and incubators which do not have their own business rates assessment;

• Regular market traders (with fixed building costs in Horsham District, such as rent) who do not have their own business rates assessment;

• Bed & Breakfasts 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.

Subject to any remaining monies, a secondary group of businesses will also be considered as priorities to support the local economy:

• Businesses who missed out on the original grant scheme through a legitimate issue with their Valuation Office Agency (VOA) status on 11 March;

• Leisure, retail and hospitality businesses and those in the supply chain not eligible in other schemes; and
• Cultural and creative businesses not eligible in other schemes.

Payments of between £2,000 and £10,000 will be made to companies, depending on the size of the business and on supply of evidence of the negative financial impact on them due to the coronavirus.

Applications are invited from today, Friday 5 June, and will close on 16 June to allow time for applications to be evaluated on their merits rather than on a first come, first served basis.

Applications will be assessed between 17 and 22 June to decide who receives a grant and for how much. Payments will be made in the week beginning 24 June.

Commenting on the scheme, Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets Cllr Ray Dawe said:

These are difficult times for a great many businesses and the Council very much welcomed the news that the Government is providing further support to a broader range of local small businesses at this time.

“We have introduced a policy whereby we are trying to help as many eligible businesses as possible but it is important that they note the application deadlines if they wish to participate.”

Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets Cllr Ray Dawe

Apply for a Discretionary Grant Fund