In the latest round of Liverpool City Region COVID-19 support grants, a £10m fund will be made available to businesses who have not previously accessed local support funding. Tony McDonough reports

An extra £10m is being made available to Liverpool city region businesses that have been hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the the latest round of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s COVID emergency funds, new local business support grants of between £3,750 and £13,500 are aimed at businesses who have not previously accessed local support funding.

Since they were announced in October last year, more than 1,700 businesses have been supported through the first two rounds of funding. Businesses who have previously been supported are eligible for top-up grants of up to £10,500 and are being contacted directly by their local councils.

The new grants are aimed at small and microbusinesses in Liverpool, Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley, St Helens and Halton, specifically:

• Businesses that have been ordered to close and are outside the business rate system.
• Businesses in the hospitality and leisure supply chain that either pay business rates or have commercial property related costs.
• Self-employed/ sole trader / home-based businesses / licensed market traders working in or supplying the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors.
• Businesses in any sector, including the self-employed / sole traders / home-based businesses, that can demonstrate a loss of income of more than 40% due to COVID-19. 

Businesses can also apply for this grant if they pay business rates or have commercial property related costs. Those wishing to apply for the grants should do so through their local council.

In a joint statement, the leaders and Acting Mayor of the six city region local authorities, and Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, said: “We know how tough this last year has been for local businesses and we are doing everything we can to help support them through the pandemic.

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“We’ve already distributed tens of millions of pounds to local businesses and this latest fund is open to the sorts of small and micro businesses that have not yet qualified for funding, so we can safeguard more jobs and livelihoods. Thousands of people depend on these businesses for their livelihoods and they are at the very heart of our communities.

“The vaccine rollout is continuing, and we can start to see a return to something resembling normality. Let’s keep looking after each other and we can make it through the coming weeks and months.”

An initial window will open for receipt of applications for the Liverpool City Region Local Business Support Grant will open for applications from 10am on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 and close at 5pm on Friday, February 26, 2021.

It is anticipated that demand for the Local Business Support Grants will outstrip supply, so businesses are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.