Further lockdown grants available for businesses

 with an extension of the Business Support Package Grant and Additional Restrictions Grants Scheme (ARG) to cover the period from 16 February to 31 March.

The March Business Support Package provides one-off grants of between £2,096 and £4,714 for businesses which pay business rates and were required to close by law due to the current national lockdown that extended on 16 February. Non-essential retail, leisure, personal care, sports facilities and hospitality businesses are all eligible for this grant.

The ARG March provides one-off grants of between £2,001 and £4,500 for businesses that are outside of the business rates system and were required to close by law due to the current national lockdown that extended on 16 February, and for rateable businesses severely impacted, but not forced to close during this lockdown (including those that supply the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, or businesses in the events sector).

Registered Driving Instructors who have been forced to stop teaching can also apply for a one-off grant payment of £1000 and applications must be made by 30 April.

Councillor Jonathan Nunn, Leader of Northampton Borough Council, said: “We are pleased to make more Government grant funding available to our vital local businesses, who are undoubtedly continuing to feel the financial impact of the lockdown.

“We have issued over £51 million of funding to 8,109 businesses to date, and we still have funds remaining, so I would urge eligible businesses to apply as soon as possible.”

Businesses which have already received their January Business Support Package or ARG January payment, for the 5 January to 15 February 2021 lockdown period, do not need to make a new application for the March ARG or March Business Support Package, and will receive their payment soon. 

Businesses which have already submitted an application for the January Business Support Package or ARG January, will automatically receive payment of the March Business Support Package or ARG March combined with their January Business Support Package or ARG January payment.

The following grant schemes will close for applications on the 31 March, so eligible businesses are encouraged to apply as soon as possible:

• Additional Restrictions Grant (January)
• National Restrictions Grant (November)
• National Restrictions Business Support Package (January)
• Local Restrictions Grant (closures under tier 2, 3 and 4)

For more information regarding grant applications and eligibility, and to access the applications portal please visit www.northampton.gov.uk/grantsandadvice

Anyone with queries about their application can contact the Council using the following email addresses:

• For National Restriction Grant applications, please email businessgrant@northampton.gov.uk
• For Additional Restrictions Grant applications, please email discretionaryfund@northampton.gov.uk
• For Additional Restrictions Grant - Driving Instructors (March) applications please email discretionaryfund@northampton.gov.uk