Applications for the Coronavirus Business Grants are now open

Date posted:
Wed 01 April 2020

Liverpool City Council is administering the “Small business grant fund” and the “Retail, hospitality and leisure grant” for businesses that are part of the wider government support response to the coronavirus outbreak.

To view all the grants, support schemes, loans and measures available please visit liverpool.gov.uk/covidbusiness

Small business grant fund

You will be eligible to apply for a £10,000 grant if you have been receiving Small Business Rates Relief on 11th March 2020.

The rateable value must be £15,000 or below.

Payment of the small business grant fund must comply with EU law on State Aid. It is paid as de minimis aid subject to the 200,000 Euro limit over 3 years (or under the Temporary Framework where the de minimis threshold is met). Check the latest government guidance on GOV.UK.

Retail, hospitality and leisure grant

If your retail, hospitality or leisure sector business has a rateable value up to £15,000, you may qualify for a £10,000 grant.

If your retail, hospitality or leisure sector business has a rateable value between £15,000.01 and less than £51,000 per year, you may qualify for a £25,000 grant.

The expanded retail discount – the 100% reduction to your business rates for 2020/21 – must also apply to you.

Qualifying businesses include:

  • shops
  • cafes, restaurants, take-aways and drinking establishments
  • cinemas, music venues and nightclubs
  • petrol stations
  • gyms, leisure and sports facilities
  • estate agents and letting agents
  • betting shops and bingo halls
  • car show rooms
  • hotels and guest houses

View the full list of qualifying businesses on GOV.UK.

The retail, hospitality and leisure grant is paid under the UK Covid 19 Temporary Framework Approved Scheme, which is subject to the 800,000 Euro limit over 3 years. Check the latest government guidance on GOV.UK.

How to apply

You can apply online below.

If your business has multiple premises, you must submit an application for each one.

The application must be completed by the Business Ratepayer. If the ratepayer is a company or partnership, it should be completed by a company director or one of the partners in the firm.

You will need to provide some business details, including your:

  • Business Rates account number (from your latest bill)
  • Business bank account information (payment will be made directly into your business bank account)

If you pay your Business Rates from the same business bank account, we can verify this. If not, you will need to email a photograph or scan of your most recent bank statement dated within the last three months.

You must confirm that you are entitled to receive the grant funding when you apply.

Once you have completed the form Liverpool City Council will send you an email with the next steps to complete your application.

You will not qualify for either grant if your business was in administration or liquidation on 11th March 2020.

Liverpool City Countcil are expecting a high volume of traffic due to the number of businesses applying for these grants, so please bear with them as it may take a little longer to get back to you. Read Liverpool City Council’s privacy notice which tells you how they use your data.