BUSINESSES HAVE UNTIL NEXT FRIDAY TO APPLY FOR UP TO £7,500

COUNTY COUNCIL POINTS TO HUGE RESPONSE ALREADY BUT AT LEAST FUNDING IS ON A COMPETITIVE RATHER THAN FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED BASIS

SMALL businesses in Atherstone and North Warwickshire hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic have a new "window of opportunity" to get their hands on additional funding to boost their recovery.

But companies only have until next Friday to apply for a slice of £250,000 of grant aid dedicated to supporting the retail and hospitality sectors.

Firms in that specific area which have been trading for a minimum of a year can apply for grants between £2,000 and £7,500 to put towards the cost of capital investments.

There has already been a huge response to the Warwickshire County Council-led scheme and the authority points out demand is "high", however, it is a competitive process and not a first-come, first-served programme.

The deadline for applications is 9am on Friday September 11.

Grant applications could be for refurbishing or refitting property to increase footfall or improve visitor experience; creating an online sales presence; investing in dedicated IT and computer software; or the purchase of minor equipment.

The capital investments must be part of a clear plan to sustain and grow the businesses, as well as to safeguard existing jobs, says the authority.

To ensure a business is eligible, before submitting an application, the guidelines Covid-19 Retail and Hospitality Recovery and Investment Fund can be found here[L+].

The funding is part of an initial £5 million support package from Warwickshire to boost immediate economic recovery in the county.

Authority leader Councillor Izzi Seccombe said: "The Retail and Hospitality Fund is part of our multi-million -pound package of support for businesses.

"We hope as many eligible firms as possible will apply for the fund which is designed to stimulate growth and sustain retail and hospitality businesses across the county."

But the county authority points out that although the closing date for this round of applications for the fund is next Friday, there will be another opportunity to apply later in the year.

Businesses in other sectors might also be interested in the county council's new Survive Sustain and Grow programme which provides a consultancy service to assist firms with their post Covid-19 recovery plans.

Businesses requiring details of all other support to help recover from Covid-19 can contact Coventry and Warwickshire LEP Growth Hub [L] https://coronavirus.cwgrowthhub.co.uk/ [L+] here