Originally announced in the Budget on 11 March, the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant (RHLG) will be delivered by local authorities in England.

Relief from business rates
The original measures have now been significantly enhanced in light of the business closures as a result of the current pandemic, offering relief from business rates for some sectors and cash grants of £10,000 to £25,000 for all eligible businesses.

This support takes the form of two grant funding schemes: the Small Business Grant Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund. The schemes are being delivered by Local Authorities – if you are eligible, your Local Authority will be in touch with you to arrange payment.

Central government will provide funding to Local Authorities that are responsible for business rate billing. Those Local Authorities will contact eligible businesses to arrange payment of the grants.

Under the Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF), all eligible businesses in England in receipt of either Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) or Rural Rate Relief (RRR) in the business rates system will be eligible for a payment of £10,000.

Under the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant (RHLG), eligible businesses in England in receipt of the Expanded Retail Discount (which covers retail, hospitality and leisure) with a rateable value of less than £51,000 will be eligible for cash grants of £10,000 or £25,000 per property.

Eligible businesses in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of up to and including £15,000 will receive a grant of £10,000. Eligible businesses in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of over £15,000 and less than £51,000 will receive a grant of £25,000.

Businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or over are not eligible for this scheme. Businesses that are not ratepayers in the business rates system are not included in this scheme.

Small Business Grant Fund Eligibility
Businesses with a property that on 11 March 2020 were eligible for the Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) scheme (including those with a Rateable Value between £12,000 and £15,000 which receive tapered relief).

Businesses which on 11 March 2020 were eligible for relief under the Rural Rate Relief Scheme are also eligible for this scheme. Eligible recipients will receive one grant per property.

Exclusions to Small
Business Grant Fund

You cannot receive SBGF for:

Properties occupied for personal uses, such as private stables and loose boxes, beach huts and moorings, Car parks and parking spaces
Businesses which as of 11 March were in liquidation or were dissolved will also not be eligible.

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Eligibility
Properties which on 11 March 2020 had a rateable value of less than £51,000 and would have been eligible for a discount under the business rates Expanded Retail

Discount Scheme, had that scheme been in force, are eligible for the grant. Charities which would otherwise meet this criteria, but whose bill for 11 March had been reduced to nil by a local discretionary award, should still be considered to be eligible for the RHLG. Recipients will receive one grant per eligible property.

Exclusions to RHLG

You cannot receive RHLG for:

Properties occupied for personal uses, such as private stables and loose boxes, beach huts and moorings, Car parks and parking spaces.

Businesses which as of 11 March were in liquidation or were dissolved will not be eligible. Eligible recipients will receive one grant per property. Recipients cannot receive both SBGF and RHLG on the same property.