£875,000 pot set up to help Hartlepool B&Bs, charities and small businesses left out of help during crisis

The Discretionary Grant Fund offers help with fixed property-related costs and is aimed at small businesses and charities with less than 50 employees who have experienced a substantial loss of income due to Covid-19.

Hartlepool has been allocated £876,500 as part of the fund and applications are now being invited by Hartlepool Borough Council, which is administering the grants.

The maximum potential grant is £10,000, although the actual maximum may be lower depending upon the number of applications received.

It follows on from two previous government business support initiatives, the Small Business Grant Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants Fund, and the latest funding pot aims to help those who were not applicable for the first two funds.

At the last update, Government funding schemes had seen more than 1,400 Hartlepool businesses had been given grants totalling more than £15million to help them through crisis.

Council chiefs have outlined businesses who they will accept applications from for the latest funding pot, which will broaden who can apply for help.

These include:

:: Small businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces, including units on industrial parks, science parks and incubator sites which do not have their own business rates assessment.

:: Bed and breakfast establishments which pay council tax rather than business rates.

:: Regular market traders with fixed building costs, such as rent, who do not have their own business rates assessment.

:: Charity properties in receipt of Charitable Business Rates Relief which would otherwise have been eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rate Relief.

The closing date for applications is 9am on Monday June 15, however applications received after this time and date will be considered but only if sufficient funds remain.

Grants will then be paid from Wednesday June 17 onwards.

Further information, including the full eligibility criteria and an application form, can be found at https://hartlepool-self.achieveservice.com/service/Local_Authority_Business_Grant.

Alternatively people can call 01429 284277.

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