Local Authority Discretionary Fund Guidance Published

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

On 13 May 2020, the government published guidance for local authorities administering the Local Authority Discretionary Fund which can be read here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-business-support-grant-funding

The fund is aimed at small businesses who were not eligible for the Small Business Grant Fund or the Retail Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund, offering financial support to businesses impacted by closure due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. An outline of the eligibility criteria is included within the document above but decisions regarding recipients of funding, the amount of funding offered through individual grants, and how the fund is to be administered are being left to the discretion of local authorities.

Local authorities across Nottinghamshire have made statements on their websites that they will be collaborating about the design of the scheme to ensure consistency across the region, ensuring that the scheme is fair, consistent and reflects the criteria stipulated in the guidance. One such statement, written by Ashfield District Council, reads:

Covid-19 Discretionary Business Grants Scheme

On the 13th May 2020 the Government published its guidance for Councils in respect of developing and implementing Discretionary Business Grants schemes. This grant is aimed at small businesses who were not eligible for the Small Business Grant Fund or the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Fund.
The guidance says that Councils may wish to collaborate about the design of their scheme to ensure consistency across a region. The Councils across Nottinghamshire are currently working together to agree a scheme which is fair and consistent and which reflects the criteria stipulated within the guidance. Once finalised, this Scheme and the grant application process will be published on the Council’s website within the next few weeks. In accordance with the Government’s guidance we anticipate that the first discretionary grant payments will be received by eligible businesses by early June.
It is anticipated that the newly designed Scheme and the grant application process will be published on Council websites within the coming weeks and that the first discretionary grant payments will be made to eligible businesses by early June.
Ashfield District Council Website, https://www.ashfield.gov.uk/residents/coronavirus-advice-for-residents/support-for-businesses/

Full statements, where published, can be found below, alongside details of available sources of business support (all hyperlinks correct at time of writing):