Published: Thursday 18 March 2021
An even wider range of business owners can now apply for Additional Restrictions Grants (ARG) in Kensington and Chelsea as the fund is opened for a third time, to include start-ups.
Kensington and Chelsea Council has extended the existing criteria for the grants, which are for small businesses and sole traders facing high fixed costs and in need of financial support due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Now, newly started businesses, who began operating in Kensington and Chelsea within six months before the March 2020 lockdown, could be eligible to apply for grant.
Cllr Catherine Faulks, Lead Member for Economy, Employment and Innovation, said:
“We have listened to business owners who have missed out on support grants but have still been greatly impacted by Covid-19. That’s why we’ve opened up the Additional Restrictions Grants for a third time with an extended eligibility criteria.
“Our entrepreneurs and start-ups are vital to our local economy and we’re determined to ensure that they can access vital funding and be ready to operate again as lockdown eases.”
The ARG provides up to £2,500 for local businesses who have been impacted by Covid-19, with the Council awarding £1,705,761 to 1336 businesses through the previous two rounds of the scheme.
Eligible businesses for the grants continue to include those who operate in or out of commercial premises linked to leisure, retail and hospitality and those without premises who face high fixed costs, such as market traders.
In the second round of applications in January, Kensington and Chelsea Council expanded the criteria to include those in residential premises such as taxi drivers and mobile beauty technicians, all of which can still apply for the ARG.
Grants for businesses under the Local Restrictions Support Scheme, which includes funding for Tier 2, 3, 4 and national lockdown periods up to 15 February, will close at 5pm on Wednesday 31 March. Grants for the lockdown period 16 February to 31 March 2021 will be open until 30 April if you have not already applied for a lockdown grant. These grants will be replaced by the Restart grants announced in the Chancellor’s Budget earlier this month. More details on these grants are set to be released soon.
Applications for the ARG are open now and the deadline to apply is 5pm on Friday 9 April. Make sure to check the full eligibility criteria before applying.
Apply for the ARG and all other grants available at webtest.rbkc.gov.uk/covid19-business.