Coronavirus (COVID-19):
information for businesses

• New business rate discounts 
• Retail, leisure and hospitality business can ​​​apply for a business rates holiday for the 2020 to 2021 tax year
• Nurseries will get a business rates holiday for the 2020 to 2021 tax year. We’ll send revised bills to eligible businesses. 

• Businesses in receipt of small business rate relief can apply for a grant of £10,000 through the Small Business Grant Scheme
• Retail, leisure and hospitality businesses can apply for a grant of £10,000 or £25,000 depending on your business's rateable value
• Small businesses that aren't eligible for the small business or retail, leisure and hospitality grant funds may be eligible for the business grants top-up fund. We'll publish full details when the fund is open for applications and contact eligible businesses.
• A Small Business Discretionary Grant capped at £5,000 is available so we can further support small businesses. Businesses that are eligible for other grants from the government as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19) are not eligible for this grant.

You may also be able to apply for a loan or grant through the:

• Bounce Back Loans scheme (GOV.UK), government-backed loans of £2,000 to £50,000 for small and medium businesses, interest free for 12 months
• Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (GOV.UK)
• COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility, help for large businesses through the purchase of their short-term debt (GOV.UK)
• government Future Fund
• Film + TV Charity COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund
• Arts Council
• Heritage Emergency Fund
• Sport England Community Emergency Fund
• PRS for Music Emergency Relief Fund
• Musicians' Union Coronavirus Hardship Fund
• Princes Trust and Natwest Enterprise Relief Fund
• Innovate UK, to help fund new ways to tackle global disruption
• Food Redistribution Fund
• government funding for frontline charities

Read guidance for:

• working safely during coronavirus on GOV.UK
• health professionals, businesses, schools and other organisations on GOV.UK
• adult care providers
• suppliers to the council
• food businesses on GOV.UK and reopening and adapting your food business on the FSA website
• businesses that want to offer takeaways and deliveries
• rules that have been relaxed make it easier for businesses to keep working on GOV.UK

If you have a query that isn’t covered, you can:

• find answers to common questions on the government's Business Support website
• call the Business Support helpline: 0300 456 3565
• email enquiries@businesssupporthelpline.org

GOV.UK has information about support for businesses, including:

• the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme ('furloughing' workers)
• deferring VAT payments
• deferring income tax payments due through Self Assessment
• applying for more time to file your company's accounts with Companies House
• paying sick pay to employees (statutory sick pay relief package for SMEs)
• what to do if you can't pay your tax bill on time
• support for larger firms through the COVID-19 Corporate Financing Facility
• protecting high street businesses from aggressive rent collection and closure

Use the GOV.UK coronavirus business support finder to find out what support your business is eligible for.

The government's Business Support website has a list of business representative organisations and trade associations that can provide advice.

The OutSet Micro-Business Covid-19 programme can offer support and guidance to businesses with fewer than 10 employees, including the self employed and freelancers.

Licences

Taxi licences: if your vehicle plate is due on or after 30 March, you can extend it for 6 months with no charge.

Premises licences: we're delaying collecting the annual licence fee for licensed premises that are due to pay it between 1 April and 1 July 2020.

Rent support

What is available for council business and community tenants.

• Business West
• West of England Combined Authority
• The Federation of Small Businesses
• Enterprise Nation
• Creative England 
• Bristol Media
• National Council of Voluntary Organisations
• Voscur
• Bristol Food Union
• Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS)
• Bectu: the union for creative ambition
• Bristol Festivals
• Creative Industries Federation
• Musicians' Union
• UK Hospitality
• Night Time Industries Association
• The British Institute of Innkeeping
• Equity 

Find out about:

• ‘furloughing’ staff through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme on GOV.UK: HMRC will reimburse 80% of wages for staff who’ve had to stop working but are still on the pay roll
• support with paying sick pay for staff who've been off work because of COVID-19, if you have fewer than 250 employees 

If you can’t work because you’ve had symptoms of COVID-19 or have self isolated, you can apply for:

• Universal Credit (UC) (GOV.UK)
• new style Employment and Support Allowance (GOV.UK)

If you’ve lost income because of COVID-19, you can apply for:

• the Self employment Income Support Scheme (GOV.UK)
• Universal Credit (UC) (GOV.UK), if you’re not eligible for the Self-employment income support scheme

GOV.UK has information about:

• deferring Self Assessment payments due on 31 July 2020 until 31 January 2021 
• support with tax that's due

Future Bright offers careers coaching, training and support to self employed workers whose ability to earn has been affected by COVID-19.

If you're looking for temporary or new staff, email ways2work@bristol.gov.uk with information about the vacancy and we'll help promote it on the Ways2Work website.

The government has ordered certain businesses to close. Read the full guidance and list of businesses that must close on GOV.UK.

Takeaway and delivery services can stay open (GOV.UK).

Tell us about a business that isn’t following the government’s order:

• call 0117 922 2500
• email health.safety@bristol.gov.uk

Take our online survey to help us understand the economic impact of coronavirus (COVID-19). We'll use the information you give us to help develop any future support for businesses.

The survey closes on 15 May 2020.