Over £1.2 million paid out in emergency business support As mentioned in a previous post, EBC has paid out over £1.2million in emergency support to 93 Eastleigh Borough businesses impacted by the coronavirus crisis.
Businesses that are eligible could receive a £10k or £25k grant depending on the size of the company. If a company is in receipt of Small Business Rate Relief or run a business in retail, hospitality or the leisure sector and have a Rateable Value of £51,000 or less, they can complete the form to be assessed for eligibility for any grants or reliefs.
You can continue to apply for business grants if you haven’t yet done so we will continue to process these over the coming weeks. The application form can be downloaded here Positive feedback We've received some really great feedback from a lot of businesses across the Borough who we've been able to help here are a few of them:
"I think the work you guys have done has eased pressure of a lot of local businesses and been able to release the cash flow to pay staff in advance of getting the funds back from the Furloughed scheme. We employ a number of local people and with this it will ease there worries along with ours. Many thanks to both you and your team."
"Thank you so much, I realise how hard you guys have worked to help us small businesses out, this email has actually made me cry and I’m a 52 year old bloke. Words cannot express how I’m feeling right now. Here’s to the next 30 years in business"
"I would like to thank you for all the help and information you have given us with the assessment and funding for the Ketch Rigger, it’s really helped ease the pressure and has meant we can now keep the business going and enrole all the staff in to the government furlough scheme and in turn keep their jobs for when this madness is over." Businesses MUST cancel direct debit for VAT if deferring Please be advised that you must cancel your direct debit for your VAT if you intend to defer.
You can find out more information about the deferral of VAT payments due to coronavirus here.
If you choose to defer your VAT payment as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19), you must pay the VAT due on or before 31 March 2021.
You do not need to tell HMRC that you are deferring your VAT payment. If you normally pay by direct debit you should contact your bank to cancel your direct debit as soon as you can, or you can cancel online if you’re registered for online banking.
Appeal for personal protective equipment (PPE) for key workers Can your business provide essential equipment to protect public sector workers dealing with the coronavirus crisis? An appeal for crucial supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) has been launched in Eastleigh Borough as part of a county-wide initiative to support key workers.
Local councils, including Eastleigh, the emergency services and utility companies are coordinating the local response to COVID-19 across Hampshire in the Local Resilience Forum. As well as supporting our NHS health partners on the front line and managing the distribution emergency food and medicine parcels to the most vulnerable, the services also:
Respond to police, fire and ambulance emergencies
Maintain refuse collections
Support homeless people and make visits to sheltered housing schemes
The key workers, who deliver all these services on a daily basis, need personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to help ensure they stay fit and healthy and can carry out their duties. We are appealing to local businesses to donate any of the items in the following list:
Disposable plastic aprons or gowns
Nitrile gloves
Tyvex suits
Eye protection: surgical mask with integrated visor; full face shield/visor; polycarbonate safety spectacles or equivalent
Face masks: water repellent surgical masks, FFP3 respirators
Alcohol hand gel (60% minimum alcohol content)
Cleaning wipes – with high alcohol content
To donate please contact COVIDdonations@hantsfire.gov.uk Platform 4 Business Platform 4 Business is a free online service provided by the Borough Council’s Eastleigh Business Centre, based at Wessex House. The service is available to help companies with advice and information, which Borough businesses may find particularly useful during this current period of uncertainty. Useful links for businesses Businesses can now access government support here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-business-support-to-launch-from-today
Guidance for employers and businesses about COVID-19
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses
Crowdfunded small cashflow grants are now available from the Solent LEP https://solentlep.org.uk/what-we-do/news/we-release-600-000-to-micro-and-small-businesses-through-crowdfunder-s-pay-it-forward/