COVID-19 Business Grants in Cumbria: Important Updates from Cumbria Chamber of Commerce and latest from Carlisle City Council

There are two schemes:

1. A £10,000 grant for any business, regardless of sector, that receives Small Business Rate Relief or Rural Rate Relief;
2. A £25,000 grant for businesses in retail, hospitality or leisure in premises with a rateable value of more than £15,000 but under £51,000.

When the Government announced these grants, they said that eligible businesses would receive the money automatically - there was no need to apply. We've now learned this is not the case.

In Cumbria, district councils are administering these grants and five of our six districts are asking businesses to apply for the grants online. Their reasoning is that they don't hold the bank details of every eligible business, so they need you to apply.

If you're entitled to these grants, and you're in Allerdale, Barrow, Copeland, Eden or South Lakeland, you must complete an online form. Find out more via the links below:-

• Allerdale Borough Council
• Barrow Borough Council
• Copeland Borough Council
• Eden District Council
• South Lakeland District Council

If you're in the Carlisle City Council area, further guidance has been issued today (Wednesday 1 April 2020):-

• Carlisle City Council will be sending letters to around 3,275 businesses on Wednesday 1 April within the Carlisle area and will process the grants within five working days of receiving the necessary information.

• They will ask businesses for their details, and for some businesses, their bank details. Returning the information electronically will help to speed up the process.

• If any business is struggling to get to their business address to get hold of their mail, you can contact Carlisle City Council by calling 01228 817234 or emailing NNDR@carlisle.gov.uk That includes any business that does not receive a letter by Monday 6 April.

• Carlisle City Council will be sending nil balance bills to businesses that are eligible for business rate relief.

It would be a tragedy if businesses were to miss out on these grants simply because they aren't aware that they need to fill in a form.