The Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) supports businesses that were open as usual, providing services in person to customers from their business premises, but which were then required to close for at least 3 weeks due to local lockdown restrictions imposed by government.

It is for businesses that pay business rates (I believe if you claim small business rates relief you also qualify), however local councils can give grants to those who do not pay business rates.

Eligibility

Your business may be eligible if it:

• occupies property on which it pays business rates

• is in a local lockdown area and has been required to close because of the formal publication of local restrictions guidance that resulted in a first full day of closure on or after 9 September. This funding is not retrospective

• has been required to close for at least 3 weeks because of the lockdown

• has been unable to provide its usual in-person customer service from its premises

• Eligible businesses will get one grant for each property liable for business rates within the lockdown zone.

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What will you get
If your business is eligible and has a property with a rateable value of less than £51,000, you will receive a cash grant of £1,000 for each 3-week period your business is closed.

The grant will be extended to cover each additional 3-week period, so if your business is closed for 6 weeks it will receive £2,000

Discretionary Funding

You may receive a grant of up to £1,500 at the discretion of your local council if:

• your business is required to close but you do not pay business rates

• if your business is not required to close, but has been severely affected, for example as a result of customer businesses being closed

Your local council will publish details of discretionary funding on their website.

Exclusions

• businesses which are able to continue to operate during the lockdown because they do not depend on providing direct in-person services from their premises

• businesses that have chosen to close, but have not been required to close as part of a local lockdown

• businesses that are still subject to national closures such as nightclubs

• businesses that have reached the state aid limit

If you already get State Aid (e.g ACE Grants)
The grant does counts towards state aid.

Payments count towards the total de minimis State aid you’re allowed to get over a 3-year period - €200,000. If you have reached that threshold, you may still be eligible for funding under the temporary COVID-19 rules. The limit for this is €800,000.

How to Apply
You will need to visit your local council website to find out how to apply.

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