Still time to apply for Government Covid grant support

Ashford businesses who have been affected by the pandemic still have time to apply for Government Covid support grant funding, but one of the schemes closes in only a few weeks, so please don’t delay in getting your applications in.

This financial support is aimed at those businesses in the leisure, hospitality, accommodation sectors as well as domestic and international travel and tourism businesses.

Both of the Government’s Coronavirus Business Grant schemes (Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG) and Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) opened in January for applications.

The schemes are complementary and businesses eligible for one scheme will not be eligible for the other.

Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG)

The OHLG scheme provides support to businesses in the Hospitality, Leisure and Accommodation sector that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed Business Rates-paying premises.

The scheme closes to applications at 23:59 on 18 March 2022 and all final payments will be made by the authority by the 31 March 2022.

Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG)

The ARG scheme provides support to businesses impacted by the Omicron variant which are not eligible for the main OHLG. Priority is given to eligible businesses in or directly supplying the Hospitality, Leisure, Accommodation and Travel/Tourism sectors.

The council has had to be focused on the sectors that it is able to support through the ARG scheme due to the limited funding available through this round and due to the scope of sectors supported through the main Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme.

The scheme will close for applications at 23:59 on 20 February 2022 and all final payments will be made by the authority by the 31 March 2022.

The council will continually monitor the number of eligible ARG applications being received and, if necessary, could close the scheme early to avoid overspend due to the limited amount of funding available.

Cllr Neil Shorter, portfolio holder for Finance and IT, said: “Ashford Borough Council has been supporting local businesses by processing and administering the many government grant schemes since the first national lockdown in March 2020.

“Around 12,000 business support grants, totalling £56 million have been paid out since April 2020 – supporting over 5,000 businesses in the borough so far.

“More support is available, especially to those Ashford businesses in the leisure, hospitality, accommodation sectors as well as domestic and international travel and tourism. So please get in contact soon to see if you are eligible for this funding.”