Rugby MP Mark Pawsey has welcomed news that 1,000 small businesses in Rugby and Bulkington have already received grants as part of the Government’s Small Business Grants Scheme.
In total, more than £12.5 million has made its way to small businesses in the area, to help them through the extraordinary challenges they are facing during the coronavirus outbreak. The Small Business Grants Scheme, set up by the Government will back the UK’s smallest businesses with £12.3 billion. The funding is provided to local authorities, who are then able to offer grants of up to £10,000 to small businesses, and up to £25,000 for eligible leisure, retail and hospitality businesses.
Since the scheme’s launch in March, £6.1 billion has already been paid out to 491,725 business properties across England, including 12.5 million for small businesses in Rugby. In total, Rugby Borough Council has been provided with £20m, which could help as many as 1,600 businesses in the local area.
Mark commented:
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy and to help our recovery we need our small businesses to survive and then thrive. These grants will help many of our high street and retail businesses to survive the pandemic and then return to work once it is safe to do so.”
Mark continued:
“Since the outbreak began, I have been in regular contact with local business groups, including the Chamber of Commerce and Rugby Business Support, as well as Warwickshire County Council, Rugby Borough Council and Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council, to ensure that local business can access the support they are entitled to. However, there are still some businesses eligible for funding who have not applied for it. I would urge them to complete Rugby Borough Council’s small business grants form through their website at www.rugby.gov.uk.”
Mark concluded:
“The Government is determined to ensure that everyone gets the support they need to do the right thing – to stay at home, protect our NHS and save lives – without having to worry about losing their livelihoods or not being able to pay their bills. That is why alongside the Small Business Grants Scheme, Government-backed loans for businesses have been made available, and the Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme has been introduced to protect jobs.”