The new Local Business Support Grants, of between £3,750 and £13,500 per business, are aimed at businesses who have not yet accessed funding from the Liverpool City Region.

The £10m fund is the latest round of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s COVID emergency funds.

Since they were announced in October last year, more than 1700 businesses have been supported through the first two rounds of funding.  Businesses who have previously been supported are eligible for top-up grants of up to £10,500 and are being contacted directly by their local councils.

The new grants are aimed at small and microbusinesses, specifically:

• Businesses that have been ordered to close and are outside the business rate system.
• Businesses in the hospitality and leisure supply chain that either pay business rates or have commercial property related costs.
• Self-employed / Sole trader / home-based businesses / licenced market traders working in or supplying the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors.
• Businesses in any sector, including the self-employed / sole traders / home-based businesses, that can demonstrate a loss of income of more than 40% due to Covid-19. Businesses can also apply for this grant if they pay business rates or have commercial property related costs.

Businesses wishing to apply for the grants should do so through their local council.

In a joint statement, the Leaders and Acting Mayor of the six City Region Local Authorities, and Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, said:

“We know how tough this last year has been for local businesses and we are doing everything we can to help support them through the pandemic.

“We’ve already distributed tens of millions of pounds to local businesses and this latest fund is open to the sorts of small and micro businesses that have not yet qualified for funding, so we can safeguard more jobs and livelihoods. Thousands of people depend on these businesses for their livelihoods and they are at the very heart of our communities.

“The vaccine rollout is continuing, and we can start to see a return to something resembling normality. Let’s keep looking after each other and we can make it through the coming weeks and months.”

An initial “window” will open for receipt of applications for the Liverpool City Region Local Business Support Grant will OPEN for applications from 10.00 am on Wednesday 10 February 2021 and CLOSE at 5.00 pm on Friday 26 February 2021.

It is anticipated that demand for the Local Business Support Grants will outstrip supply, so businesses are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

The Local Business Support Grant will be administered by each of the six local authorities that form the Combined Authority, namely Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral.