Guidance for businesses
Introduction
1. In response to the Coronavirus, Covid-19, the Government announced there would be
support for small businesses, and businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure
sectors.
2. This support will take the form of two grant funding schemes, the Small Business Grant
Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund.
3. The schemes will be delivered by Local Authorities – if you are eligible, your Local
Authority will be in touch with you to arrange payment.
4. Businesses seeking information should refer to the Government’s business support
website: https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/
How will the grants be provided?
5. Central Government will provide funding to Local Authorities that are responsible for
business rate billing. Those Local Authorities will contact eligible businesses to arrange
payment of the grants.

How much funding will be provided to businesses?
6. Under the Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF) all eligible businesses in England in
receipt of either Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) or Rural Rates Relief (RRR) in the
business rates system will be eligible for a payment of £10,000.
7. Under the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant (RHLG) eligible businesses in England
in receipt of the Expanded Retail Discount (which covers retail, hospitality and leisure)
with a rateable value of less than £51,000 will be eligible for a cash grants of £10,000 or
£25,000 per property.

8. Eligible businesses in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of up to
and including £15,000 will receive a grant of £10,000.
9. Eligible businesses in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of over
£15,000 and less than £51,000 will receive a grant of £25,000.
10. Businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or over are not eligible for this scheme.
Businesses which are not ratepayers in the business rates system are not included in
this scheme.
Small Business Grant Fund / Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund
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Who is eligible for these schemes?
Small Business Grant Fund Eligibility
11. Businesses with a property that on the 11 March 2020 were eligible for Small Business
Rate Relief (SBRR) Scheme (including those with a Rateable Value between £12,000
and £15,000 which receive tapered relief).
12. Businesses which on 11 March 2020 were eligible for relief under the Rural Rate Relief
Scheme are also eligible for this scheme.
13. Eligible recipients will receive one grant per property.
Exclusions to Small Business Grant Fund
14. You cannot get SBGF for:
• Properties occupied for personal uses, such as private stables and loose boxes, beach
huts and moorings.
• Car parks and parking spaces.
15. Businesses which as of the 11 March were in liquidation or were dissolved will not be
eligible.
Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Eligibility
16. Properties which on the 11 March 2020 had a rateable value of less than £51,000 and
would have been eligible for a discount under the business rates Expanded Retail
Discount Scheme had that scheme been in force are eligible for the grant. Charities
which would otherwise meet this criteria but whose bill for 11 March had been reduced
to nil by a local discretionary award should still be considered to be eligible for the RHL
grant.
17. Recipients will receive one grant per eligible property.
Exclusions to RHLG
18. You cannot get RHLG for:
• Properties occupied for personal uses, such as private stables and loose boxes, beach
huts and moorings.
• Car parks and parking spaces.
• Properties with a rateable value of £51,000 or over.
19. Businesses which as of the 11 March were in liquidation or were dissolved will not be
eligible.
20. Eligible recipients will receive one grant per property. Recipients cannot receive both
SBGF and RHLG on the same property.
Small Business Grant Fund / Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund
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Who will receive this funding?
21. The person who according to the billing authority’s records was the ratepayer for the
property on the 11 March 2020.
22. Where the Local Authority has reason to believe that the information that they hold
about the ratepayer on the 11 March 2020 is inaccurate they may withhold or recover
the grant and take reasonable steps to identify the correct ratepayer. The grant is for
the ratepayer and any money paid may be liable for recovery if the recipient was not the
ratepayer on the eligible day.
23. Landlord and management agents are urged to support local government in quickly
identifying the correct ratepayer.