Applications are now open for the second round of Additional Restrictions Grants (ARG). The ARG supports businesses that are not covered by other grant schemes or where additional funding is needed.
Funds available for Westminster Council to allocate will be made on a ‘first come, first served’ basis to eligible business and the scheme will be administered until the funding pot is empty. It is therefore vital that eligible businesses apply promptly.
Following the first round of the scheme and the receipt of the top-up allocation from central Government, the City Council has revised the eligibility criteria for the scheme and increased the value of individual grant awards as follows:
- Previous Discretionary Grant Fund recipients who are in non-essential retail, hospitality or leisure; who supply the first-tier retail, hospitality or leisure sectors; and businesses within the events sector will now be eligible to apply.
- Successful applicants through the first round of ARG to receive a top-up of £3,000 to their originally approved £2,000 grant award.
- Enhancing the grants from £2,000 to £5,000 per business for new successful applicants through the second and possibly final round of the scheme.
Therefore only businesses who fall under one of the below three categories will be eligible to apply:
- non-ratepayers in non-essential retail, leisure, personal care, sports facilities and hospitality business (including, hotel and bed and breakfast accommodation and leisure businesses) which are effectively forced to close or have been severely impacted by the restrictions. This includes previous Discretionary Grant Fund recipients
- ratepayer or non-ratepayer businesses that supply (first tier) the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, including previous grant Discretionary Grant Fund recipients
- ratepayer or non-ratepayer businesses in the events sector, including previous Discretionary Grant Fund recipients
We recommend having the following information to hand when completing the application forms:
- Trading/registered address
- Company Registration Number/Charity Number (if applicable)
- Unique Tax Reference Number (if applicable)
- Links to online presence (if applicable)
- Information regarding the pandemic’s impact on the business (e.g. estimated percentage drop in sales)
- Business Rates Account Number (if applicable)
- Bank details
Click here to apply via Westminster Council’s website.
If you have any issues with the process, please contact the Westminster Business Unit on businessunit@westminster.gov.uk or telephone 020 7641 2070.
