Dear Haringey Business Owner,

Welcome to Haringey Council’s Business Bulletin.

This week’s edition will focus on the latest update on Business Grants; how to sign your business up to the Haringey Business Directory; and an update on the Digital Divide Appeal.

This bulletin is compiled by the council’s Economic Development Team. Please do let us know if we can help you directly, or if we can lobby the government on your behalf to provide further support relevant to your business’s situation.

We hope that you find the bulletin useful and welcome your feedback – we have a dedicated business support team available at business@haringey.gov.uk

For enquiries regarding the latest regulations and staying open, please email us at covid19concerns@haringey.gov.uk

For specific enquiries, please contact the relevant team:

• Business Grants:
  LRSG@haringey.gov.uk
• Business Rates: 
  business.rates@haringey.gov.uk
• Commercial Property rented from the council:
  commercial.rent@haringey.gov.uk

Grants for Businesses: an Update

Restart Grants

These grants were announced as part of the Budget on 3 March 2021. Details of the scheme have not been provided to the council at this time and are expected by 29 March 2021. Once the guidance has been issued further details will be made available. We are unable to provide any further information at this time.

Update: Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum and Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open)

Applications for the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum and Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open) have reopened. You can use the button below to make your application if you have not made one already. The deadline for applications is 31 March 2021. Grant payments are not guaranteed and will be subject to available funding at the end of the application window.

If you have been asked to provide additional information or evidence to support your application, please do so by 31 March 2021. Failure to do so is likely to result in your application being declined.

Any questions on your grant application should be addressed to lrsg@haringey.gov.uk.

Submit your questions for Haringey's COVID-19 vaccines webinar

We are hosting a live webinar where you will have the opportunity to get your COVID-19 vaccine-related questions answered by a panel of public health professionals.

The virtual event is being chaired by the Mayor of Haringey, Cllr Adam Jogee on Tuesday 30 March 2021 at 7pm. Guest speakers on the night will include local GP partner Dr Fola Akintunde-Edun, NHS Haringey Prescribing Advisor Isaac Quarm, and Deputy Head of Medicines Management at NHS Haringey, Efa Mortty.

You are invited to submit your vaccine questions and queries beforehand so that they can be addressed by the panel, but there will also be an opportunity to ask our experts directly on the night.

Please submit your questions here using our short survey form.

The event will be hosted on Facebook Live, but you do not need a Facebook account to join. For more information and to register your interest please visit the Facebook event page.

Join Haringey’s Business Directory and promote your business to residents, visitors, and other local businesses

Even though the UK is in lockdown, Haringey Council is committed to supporting our local businesses and encouraging people to shop local and shop safely in the run-up to re-opening from 12 April (subject to government guidance).

As a response, Haringey Council has produced an online business directory to ensure businesses remain trading and reach their target audience. The idea is to direct residents to shop with you online, either via click and collect, or via a delivery service that you may provide. Both are free for you to take part in.

The directory will help address the reduction in footfall, promote our town centres and showcase our local businesses for you to Live.Shop.Local. We would like to include as many businesses as possible in the directory.

We will also be relaunching our self-declaration COVID-safe Business Campaign ahead of the provisional reopening on 12 April. The dedicated COVID-safe Business Campaign webpage will be updated with the relevant information in the coming weeks.

If you would like to include your business in the FREE directory, please email us at business@haringey.gov.uk

FREE Counter Terrorism Training

ACT Awareness eLearning is a Counter Terrorism (CT) awareness course designed for all UK based companies and organisations.

Devised by CT officers and security experts, the ACT Awareness eLearning package was previously only available to staff working in crowded places like shopping centres and entertainment venues.

Now Counter Terrorism Policing has opened up the training to anyone who wants to become a ‘CT Citizen’ so they can learn how to spot the signs of suspicious behaviour and understand what to do in the event of a major incident.

ACT Awareness eLearning will provide nationally recognised corporate CT guidance to help people better understand, and mitigate, current terrorist methodology.

SME Brexit Support Fund

This fund offers up to £2,000 support to help small businesses adjust to new customs procedures. Businesses who are eligible will have below 500 employees, and no more than £100 million annual turnover, trade only with the EU, and are therefore new to importing and exporting processes.

More information can be found on our dedicated Brexit webpage.

Key Dates relating to Brexit

There are a number of key dates approaching relating to Brexit and supply chain activity that businesses should be aware of. We have compiled these key dates on our dedicated Brexit webpages, along with what they mean for businesses.

Visit the Brexit pages to find out more.

Lateral Flow Testing for Businesses – register by 31 March

Employers have a vital role to play in the reopening phase of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown. You can help to minimise the spread of infection among those who cannot work from home by introducing regular testing for asymptomatic staff. Now is the time for employers to adopt the workplace testing programme, with the tests being provided free of charge.

We do not yet know the full impact of the vaccine on the transmission of the virus, and it may still be possible to pass on COVID-19 to someone else even after vaccination.

This makes testing of asymptomatic employees in the workplace all the more important, as it allows organisations to identify potential outbreaks and respond at speed, keeping staff safe and preventing further disruption. Providing the tests is quick and easy, and results are received rapidly. Employers should be aiming to test staff members twice each week.

The programme of free tests is open to all employers of over 50 staff and will run until 30 June, but you must register by 31 March. Further testing options are also available for organisations falling under the 50-person threshold.

You can sign up at GOV.UK (external link) or email Covid-19.WorkforceTesting@defra.gov.uk if you have any queries. We also have a dedicated page outlining further steps you can take to make your business COVID-safe including a poster with the key information on testing sites.

Beware of scammers and rogue traders

Through the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a worrying increase in scammers trying to take advantage of business owners in the borough. Business owners have contacted the council's regulation and enforcement team after being visited by scammers claiming to be from the council. If a scammer claiming to be from the council or any other public sector organisation visits your business, ask them to show you their official ID.

If your business has been visited by what you believe is a scammer or rogue trader, call 101 to report non-emergency incidents to your local police. You can find out more about scams and how to avoid them by visiting the COVID-19 Scams and Misinformation page.

Haringey Digital Divide Appeal - how you can help

The Haringey Digital Divide Appeal is a joint initiative the council recently launched in partnership with Haringey Giving to help support children and young people in our borough who don’t have regular access to laptops, Wi-Fi and other technological support at home.

We remain very thankful for the fantastic level of support we have received from our amazing community here in Haringey so far.

Together we have raised nearly £40,000 and received in excess of 400 corporate business/residents’ donations so far.

If you or your business are able to make a donation, however small, it will be gratefully received.

Webinar: Trade Beyond Brexit Webinars

West London Export Club are hosting four webinars on behalf of the GLA, running from 31 March to 6 May:

• New markets: 10am - 11.30am on Wednesday 31 March
• New Incoterms and VAT: 10-11.30am on Thursday 22 April
• Export Trade Finance: 10-11.30am on Thursday 29 April
• Export Essentials: 10-11:30am on Thursday 6 May

The webinars will provide vital information for London businesses to navigate Brexit and continue trading in the EU and beyond.

Where: Online event

Webinar: Managing Brexit People Issues

Midtown is running Brexit Webinars in partnership with London Business Hub and Mischon de Reya.

The webinar focuses on the changing immigration rules for work visas and what businesses/employers need to know.

• When: Monday 29 March, 12 noon
• Where: Online event

And finally...

Please get in touch if you have any further questions, if you are experiencing difficulties and need to reach out, or if you would like to know about wider business support that is on offer.

You can email our Business Support Team at business@haringey.gov.uk

Stay up to date

Sign up to Haringey People Extra, our weekly e-newsletter

The council will be regularly updating our website and sending email newsletters to keep residents and businesses up to date with developments around COVID-19 and updates that could impact our community.

Please encourage friends and family to visit our COVID-19: Haringey Here to Help webpages and sign up to the newsletter, so they too can stay connected with what's happening in our borough.

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