New Blackpool Council fund for businesses not yet helped by Government coronavirus aid

Now they can apply to Blackpool Council for financial support under a new £2.4m discretionary grants scheme which has gone live.

The latest scheme is aimed at those such as market traders, and B&B owners who pay council tax instead of business rates, and who therefore have not qualified for previous handouts.

Grants from the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund will range from £2,500 to £10,000.

Coun Mark Smith, Blackpool Council’s cabinet member for business, enterprise and job creation, said: “We are aware some businesses in Blackpool fell outside the eligibility criteria for previous financial support.

“As a council, we are doing everything in our power to assist with Blackpool’s economic recovery and will do our utmost to help business owners and charities wherever we can.

“I would  urge anyone who thinks they might be eligible for the discretionary support to apply.

"Funding application will be reviewed carefully in line with the government’s criteria and successful requests will be paid directly into applicants’ bank accounts.”

The help is aimed at those who have not qualified for the Small Business Grants Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund.

Blackpool Council has so far paid out over £41m in support grants to more than 3,600 businesses through those two schemes. For further information, including full eligibility criteria, and details of how to apply, business owners should visit: www.blackpoolunlimited.com/C19DGF

The fund will provide support for active small businesses and charities who can demonstrate on-going fixed property-related costs and suffered a significant fall in income due to the COVID-19 crisis.

These include small businesses in shared workspaces, regular market traders, bed-and-breakfasts that pay council tax instead of business rates.