The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) funding pot was announced by Government to be distributed by Councils on a discretionary basis. This grant is to support closed businesses that do not directly pay businesses rates, as well as businesses that have not been directly ordered to close, but are impacted due to being in the supply chain for closed businesses.
Here is the link for the grant criteria and application form on the Council website.
If you would like to speak to a member of the Economic Development team about either the Local Restrictions Support Grant or the Additional Restrictions Grant, please email businesscovid19@tunbridgewells.gov.uk
How to make and keep your business COVID-secure
Free business training from the TW Borough Council Environmental Health Team
The training is designed to give you confidence that you have taken the required actions to make your business and premises Covid-secure.
It is s free to businesses and is funded through the Reopening the High Streets Safely Fund (HM Government and European Development Fund logos)
Contents of the training will include:
Practical actions to make your business Covid-secure
Complying with regulations, guidance and best practice
Guidance on risk assessments
Implementing track and trace
How local regulators can help you to comply
Other sources of help and support
This virtual training will be presented on Zoom and will last approximately 1 hour (with time for questions).
Dates are:
Thursday 26 Nov – 4.30pm
Friday 27 Nov – 9am
Monday 30 Nov – 1pm
Thank you to everyone who was able to join us for the business conference call on Tuesday 10 November or has since listened on YouTube.
The panel for the call included TWBC Chief Executive, William Benson, TWBC Officers from Environmental Health, Community Safety, Business Rates and Finance; Ross Feeney from Royal Tunbridge Wells Together Business Improvement District, Tudor Price of Kent & Medway Growth Hub, and Alison Parmar at the Federation of Small Businesses.
Questions posed to the panel included whether specific types of business could open or not; how to comply with Environmental Health regulations, and information regarding the new business support grants. Thank you to everyone who submitted questions for the discussion.
Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed)
Government launched the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG - Closed) following the 5 November lockdown procedures. This funding is available for businesses that are rates registered and required to close following statutory publication of the national lockdown guidance. All details and information on eligibility as well as the application form are available on the Council website. THere is much more detail of course to be found at the government website.
Useful Contacts
To speak to one of our Environmental Health colleagues about making your premises Covid-19 secure, please call on 01622 602450 or email on Ehadmin@midkent.gov.uk
To speak to the Council about becoming a member of the Safe Town Partnership in Royal Tunbridge Wells, please contact 01892 554423 or email office@twstp.co.uk
More useful links and business support opportunities are available from the organisations on the panel:
If you have any further questions, please email the Economic Development Team at Tunbridge Wells Borough Council on businesscovid19@tunbridgewells.gov.uk
There is more COVID-19 business information available on the TWBC website.
If you are interested in listening to the original dialogue, you can do so on the Council YouTube channel
The West Kent Kickstart scheme is still open for applications.
This scheme provides funding to employers to create new 6 month placements for young people on Universal Credit or at risk of long term unemployment.
Funding will cover 100% of the relevant National Minimum Wage for 25 hours a week, associated National Insurance contributions and employment minimum automatic enrolment contributions. There is also additional funding for training to support young people to build on their experience and move into sustained employment afterwards.
Business that can offer less than 30 placements need to apply via a ‘Gateway’ that will submit a group of applications to the Department for Work & Pensions on your behalf.
This is being offered by a number of different organisations in the area which have slightly different offers for employers:
