Current restrictions

• Covid restrictions lifted in England
  • From Thursday 20^th January, the government is no longer requiring people to work from home if they can. Employers should start speaking to their staff about arrangements for returning to workplaces, whilst continuing to follow the Working Safely guidance.
  • From Thursday 27^th January, face coverings will no longer be required by law in any setting, although public health guidance recommending individuals should continue to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where they may come into contact with people they do not normally meet will remain in place.
  • Also from Thursday 27^th January, venues and events will no longer be required by law to use the NHS Covid Pass. However, the Pass will remain available on the NHS App as some venues may still voluntarily choose to require proof of COVID status as a condition of entry to reduce risk for attendees and staff.
  • Businesses can find assets summarising these changes on the coronavirus resource website.

For more Coronavirus related information, advice and guidance (including locally related) please see Gosport Borough Council’s Coronavirus and Advice for Gosport businesses webpages.

Government funded grants during periods of national lockdowns and local restrictions

Updates

• Omicron Hospitality and Leisure (OHL) Grant
  • Applications closed.
• Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF) announced on 15 December
  • This new discretionary business rates relief scheme will be available to support those businesses affected by the pandemic and have been unable to adequately adapt to that impact but that are ineligible for existing support linked to business rates. 
  • As a result locally authorities will not be able to award relief to ratepayers who for the same period of the relief either are or would have been eligible for the:
    • Extended Retail Discount(covering Retail, Hospitality and Leisure).
    • Nursery Discount.
    • Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme (AGOSS).
  • Local Authorities will be administering the grants that will become available, once further guidance and the funding has been provided by the Government. Therefore please check back regularly on this webpage for updates on our discretionary scheme for Gosport.
• Additional Restrictions Grant funding opportunities
  • Applications closed.

Please check back regularly on our website and follow the council’s social media accounts on Twitter and Facebook for updates on grant funding etc. To be kept informed of all the latest business related news from Gosport Borough Council e.g. council and partner led business support initiatives, business events, funding support and government information please subscribe to our Business Bulletin.

Please see the table below for more details of the government funded Coronavirus related business support grants administered by Gosport Borough Council:

Restriction period	Grant available	Who is it for?
8 Dec 2021 onwards	ARG Crucial Business Grant	Gosport Borough Council has a small number of grants available for organisations that make a significant contribution to Gosport and have been negatively impacted by the pandemic. Application window closed.
8 Dec 2021 onwards	ARG New Business Grant	Independent businesses with their main trading address in Gosport that started trading since 1 November 2020 and so have not been eligible for the recent Covid-19 business support grants. Application window closed 20 March 2022.
8 Dec 2021 onwards	ARG Resilience Grant	Sector specific independent businesses with their main trading address in Gosport that have been impacted by the pandemic and the Omicron variant in particular. Application window closed 20 March 2022.
8 Dec 2021 onwards	ARG Hospitality Grant	Gosport based independent hospitality businesses and clubs severely impacted by the Omicron variant. Application window closed 20 March 2022.
8 Dec 2021 onwards	Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant	Businesses that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed Business Rates-paying premises, within the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors (applications closed Sunday 20 February 2022).
1 April onwards	Additional Restrictions Grant – Autumn/Winter 2021/22	Businesses severely impacted by lockdown including non-business rates payers, home based and regular market traders (applications closed on 11 February 2022).
1 April onwards	ARG Recovery Grant Round 2	ARG eligible businesses that did not apply for the ARG Recovery Grant when the first round was live. ARG applicants that were not successful in previous rounds as a result of not meeting the turnover decline eligibility criteria. Local Restrictions Support Grant recipient businesses that did not qualify for the Restart Grant. Applications closed 21 January 2022.
1 April 2021 onwards	Additional Restrictions Grant – Spring/Summer 2021 Round 2 and ARG Recovery Grant Round 2	Businesses severely impacted by lockdown including non-business rates payers, home based, regular market traders and taxi-drivers (applications closed 21 January 2022).
1 April 2021 onwards	Additional Restrictions Grant – Spring/Summer 20201 and ARG Recovery Grant	Businesses severely impacted by lockdown including non-business rates payers, home-based, regular market traders and taxi-drivers (applications closed 19 July 2021).
1 April 2021 onwards	Restart Grant	Businesses that are predominantly reliant on delivering in-person services to the general public i.e. non-essential retail plus hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym/sports related (applications closed 30 June 2021).
5 Jan 2021 onwards (National Lockdown 3)	LRSG (Closed Addendum) January and Closed Businesses Lockdown Payment	All businesses mandated to close in lockdown (applications closed 31 Mar 2021 for the payment periods up to 15 Feb; and closed 31 May 2021 for the payment period 16 Feb to 31 Mar).
5 Jan 2021 onwards (National Lockdown 3)	Additional Restrictions Grant	Businesses severely impacted by lockdown (applications closed 30 June 2021).
19 Dec 2020 – 4 Jan 2021 (Tier 4)	LRSG (Closed Addendum) Tier 4	All businesses forced to close in Tier 4 (applications closed 31 Mar 2021).
19 Dec 2020 – 4 Jan 2021 (Tier 4)	Additional Restrictions Grant	Businesses severely impacted by Tier 4 restrictions (applications closed 30 June 2021).
2 – 29 Dec 2020 (Tier 2 and 4)	Christmas Support Payment for Wet-Led Pubs	Wet-Led Pubs (applications closed 28 Feb 2021)
2 – 18 Dec 2020 (Tier 2)	LRSG (Sector)	Nightclubs and other venues forced to close (applications closed 31 Mar 2021)
2 – 18 Dec 2020 (Tier 2)	LRSG (Closed)	Businesses forced to close i.e. wet-led pubs (applications closed 31 Mar 2021).
2 – 18 Dec 2020 (Tier 2)	LRSG (Open)	Hospitality and leisure businesses severely impacted by Tier 2 restrictions (applications closed 31 Mar 2021)
2 – 18 Dec 2020 (Tier 2)	Additional Restrictions Grant	Businesses severely impacted by Tier 2 restrictions (applications closed 30 June 2021).
5 Nov to 1 Dec 2020 (National Lockdown 2)	LRSG (Closed Addendum)	All businesses forced to close in lockdown (applications closed 31 Mar 2021).
5 Nov to 1 Dec 2020 (National Lockdown 2)	Additional Restrictions Grant	Businesses severely impacted by lockdown (applications closed 30 June 2021).
1 Nov to 4 Nov 2020 (Tier 1)	LRSG (Sector)	Nightclubs and other venues forced to close (applications closed 31 Mar 2021).

Government provided business advice and support information

Please see the following links for the information and latest updates on the business support provided by the Government, including:

• Financial support for businesses during coronavirus (COVID-19)
• Support for the self-employed and sole traders (also see Money Advice Service information)
  • Claim a grant through the Self-employment Income Support Scheme
  • Self-employment and Universal Credit
  • If you cannot pay your tax bill on time
  • Negotiate a mortgage payment holiday
• Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
• Government funded business support grants
• Working safely during coronavirus (COVID19)

Locally provided business advice and support

• Solent Growth Hub (for start-up, SMEs and large businesses)
• Enterprise South (for pre-start, start-up and small businesses)free start-up course
  • 1-2-1 advice
  • Start-up loan scheme
• Federation of Small Businesses
• GetSet for Growth Solent (for SMEs)workshops
  • 1-2-1 advice
  • match funded grant scheme
• Hampshire Chamber of Commerce
• Manufacturing Growth Programme (for SME manufacturers)
  • 1-2-1 advice
  • match funded grant scheme
• University of Portsmouth

Gosport Borough Council provided information

General service related information and advice

• https://www.gosport.gov.uk/coronavirus
• https://www.gosport.gov.uk/article/1859/Business-Rates-Council-Tax-Support-and-Benefits-advice