Businesses across Sefton impacted by the pandemic have one more week to apply for a grant from the £1.4million allocation set aside for the borough.
Last month, Liverpool City Region leaders announced that they had secured a further £8.1m in emergency funding to support businesses across all six local authority areas in their recovery from the effects of Covid-19.
The additional funds are to be shared with small or medium-sized businesses, with between 10 and 249 employees, as part of the Trading On Scheme.
The window for applications is open until 5pm on Friday 12th November 2021.
Sefton based businesses can find guidance and further details about the application process on the Sefton Council website: https://www.sefton.gov.uk/tradingonscheme
In a joint statement issued at the launch of the scheme, Liverpool City Region Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, Cllr Mike Wharton, Leader, Halton Borough Council, Cllr Graham Morgan, Leader, Knowsley Borough Council, Joanne Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool, Cllr Ian Maher, Leader, Sefton Borough Council, Cllr David Baines, Leader, St. Helens Borough Council and Cllr Janette Williamson, Leader, Wirral Borough Council said:
“Throughout the past 18 months, we have worked together to protect our region from the biggest challenge it has faced since the war. That collaboration, creativity and hard work resulted in millions of pounds of support that helped sustain thousands of businesses in all parts of our region through the worst of the pandemic.
“More than £44m was distributed to more than 4,000 businesses, saving many more thousands of jobs and livelihoods in the process. We start our recovery from a much stronger position as a result.
“That recovery is already well underway and received a massive boost in May, with the launch of Mayor Steve Rotheram’s £150m Covid Recovery Fund, which has allowed our region to get a headstart on the rest of the country.
“Now we’re launching another £8.1m of funding for SMEs, who make up a massive chunk of the local economy. Together, we are making sure that the Liverpool City Region has the fastest and strongest recovery possible, with no one left behind.”
The government requires each council to exercise its local knowledge and judgment in devising a grant scheme that aligns best with the particular economic characteristics of its area by funding those businesses that have been severely impacted by Covid-19. Because of this and the limited amount of funding available, the amounts of grant funding for individual businesses will vary across different local authority areas.
How Sefton Council has supported local businesses during the pandemic
Sefton Council has administered 23,000 grant payments through local, regional and national financial support packages and schemes totalling £97.7 million in payments to businesses right across the Borough – from taxi drivers to childminders to pub landlords.
A total of £41.8 million in Business Rates retail discounts were awarded in 2020/21 with a further £22.5 million awarded in 2021/22.
To administer this latest grant scheme, Sefton Council is utilising its Business Rates, InvestSefton, Tourism and Environmental Health business relationships to contact as many eligible businesses as is possible.
Anyone who has not been contacted can still check their eligibility and submit an application before the closing date of 5pm Friday 12th November 2021.
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