Businesses and employers - financial support
Sunderland City Council endeavours to ensure that information contained on this page is up to date and correct and in line with the latest NHS and Government advice. The council accepts no liability for error or omission.
Update 22/04/2021
Three updates have today been announced for businesses significantly impacted by the pandemic.
- Taxi drivers who previously received the £500 Taxi Driver Grant will be issued an automated additional payment of £500, taking their grant award to £1000 per driver. The support reflects the impact of national and local restrictions on taxi drivers, as well as their importance to vulnerable people in the city during the pandemic. Eligible applicants for the original Taxi Driver scheme do not need to reapply, payments will be made automatically. The scheme is not open for new applicants.
- An Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) funded 'Restart Extension' grant for a selection of businesses in the hospitality, accommodation and leisure (HAL), non-essential retail and personal care sectors without a business rates assessment and those in the supply chain to HAL is also set to be released. This will be targeted to support businesses in those areas that have been affected by restrictions but who do not meet the criteria of the Government's Restart Grant. Payment levels are being finalised and further updates will be made to these web pages, but these will be at a lower level than the national scheme due to the finite funding available. Eligible applicants from earlier schemes do not need to reapply, payments will be made automatically.
- A Covid Recovery Fund will also be launched, to support business growth projects that will lead to job creation in sectors negatively impacted by Covid. More details will be made available as the scheme is developed.
Update 19/04/2021
The Covid Support Grant is now closed.
In Sunderland, eligible businesses who have previously received grants under the various Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) schemes do not need to reapply for a Restart Grant. If, however you have not yet made an LRSG application you are urged to do so before the deadlines detailed below.
Applications for support relating to Local Restrictions Support Grant for the period 16 February onwards can be made up until 31 May 2021 and Restart Grants until 30 June 2021 using the Local restrictions business grants online application. We would advise all businesses to apply as quickly as possible.
To contact the Business Investment Team email info@MAKEitSunderland.com or call 0191 561 1194 and a member of the team will call you back.
Financial government support
Government Loan Schemes for SMEs and large companies
Business Rates - Expanded Retail Discount Scheme
Job Retention and Job Support Schemes
Self-Employed Income Support Scheme
To access further support for businesses during the pandemic please visit Businesses and employers - information, advice and guidance.
Government's Coronavirus Business Support Finder Tool
The Government's coronavirus business support finder tool can help businesses and self-employed people to quickly and easily determine what financial support is available to them. The tool asks business owners to fill out a simple questionnaire. They will then be directed to a list of all the financial support they may be eligible for. To access the support finder tool visit the GOV.UK website.
A Coronavirus business support blog is also available where you can find out how other businesses have used government support schemes and are working safely to guidance.
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