£1 million business grant payments due today

Over £1 million of Government business grants are due to be paid out locally today (April 6)  by Orkney Islands Council.

The payments, totalling £1,135,000, consist of eleven £25,000 grants and 86 £10,000 grants.

The council is administering the Small Business Grant Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Fund on behalf of the Scottish Government. 

A high number of applications have been received since the scheme opened on 24 March and following receipt of guidance from the Scottish Government, processing of grant applications now remains the  Council's Finance team’s highest priority -  with further payments expected in the coming weeks

The Council is also advising businesses against using third-party companies, who are charging £99 to apply for grants on a businesses behalf, as grants can be easily applied for  using the simple online claim form through the Council website.

The Small Business Grant Fund is a one-off £10,000 grant available for the ratepayers of properties which had a rateable value of £18,000 or less and were, on 17 March 2020,

• In receipt of the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS),
• in receipt of Rural Relief, or
• eligible for SBBS but in receipt of Nursery Relief, Disability Relief, Fresh Start Relief or Business Growth Accelerator Relief.

The Retail, Hospitality, Leisure Support Grant is a £25,000 grant available for ratepayers of properties in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors with a rateable value between £18,001 and £51,000.

If you have not already applied for the grant, then you can submit your grant application on the council’s website https://www.orkney.gov.uk/Council/C/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-businesses.htm. You should include your current phone number and e-mail address so that the Council can contact you for more information about your application.

Support for the self-employed is available on the gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-a-grant-through-the-coronavirus-covid-19-self-employment-income-support-scheme