Dear Haringey Business Owner,

Welcome to Haringey Council’s Business Bulletin.

This special edition will focus on the business grants applications, which have recently reopened, as well as updates to the rapid testing programme available to businesses.

For enquiries regarding the latest regulations, 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

Business Grants Applications open until 31 March

Applications for almost all of the Local Restrictions Support Grants are now open but will close on 31 March.

The grants were introduced by the government to support businesses that have been affected by tier restrictions and lockdowns over the past few months. If your business was affected by tier restrictions or was legally required to close - then you may be eligible.

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.

Applications for the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum and Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open) have reopened - criteria for each grant are listed below. 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.

Please note: Grant payments are not guaranteed and will be subject to available funding at the end of the application window.

Application process

Important: if you have already applied for the previous Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) or Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) you do not need to re-apply. We will make a payment or contact you for more information.

Businesses are not expected to determine which grant they may be eligible for - please complete the single application form and eligibility for each scheme will be determined.

More information can be found at our dedicated COVID-19 grants webpage.

Haringey Workplace Testing For Businesses

The government has recently released the roadmap to open up our communities and restart our lives, but we need to remain vigilant and continue to protect our businesses and the workforce as we go forward. That means taking all necessary precautions to reduce the risk of transmitting the infection in the workplace.

Employers have a vital role to play in this next phase, minimising 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 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, which you can also find below.

Lateral flow testing poster for businesses

The poster below is being distributed to businesses across the borough to aid the uptake of lateral flow testing and help to curb the spread of COVID-19:

• Lateral flow (symptom-free) testing information for businesses poster (PDF, 527KB)

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

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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 website and sign up to the newsletter, so they too can stay connected with what's happening in our borough.