Cash boost to help Sheffield independent night-time businesses cope with coronavirus

Sheffield City Council has opened applications for larger independent businesses who operate in the night-time economy in the second round of the Coronavirus Business Grants Scheme.

The council says it has listened to representatives of the sector and broadened the eligibility criteria to help businesses that have missed out.

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The expanded scheme now includes grants of £10,000 for independent restaurants, music venues, pubs and late-opening cafes.

The deadline is August 10.

The criteria are:

Independently-run restaurants, nigh clubs and music venues, public houses, cafes, cinemas, theatres, wine bars, casinos, bingo halls, food halls/courts;

Properties with a rateable value above £51,000;

Applicants must be trading, the rate payer and occupying business;

Businesses that are not eligible for other support schemes and is offered on the basis of one grant per business not per property;

Businesses that are responsible for all the business costs and therefore national chains and franchises are excluded.

Councillor Mazher Iqbal, cabinet member for business and investment at Sheffield City Council, said: “In meeting with representatives of our city’s night-time economy in recent weeks and months, the scale of the challenge they face has really come into focus.

"Those that can now open have faced significant costs in introducing social-distancing measures and ways of working which have had real impact on their capacity to accommodate customers.

"We have appreciated the specific concerns they have raised and have therefore decided to ensure that part of the discretionary grant funding we have access to is made available to those businesses that bring our city centre and districts to life in the evenings.

“Of course we would like to do more for these businesses and others across the city but we are unfortunately constrained by the limited funding from Government.

"I hope that this will go some way to help ensure our vibrant night-time economy remains available for all to enjoy.”

Go to www.sheffield.gov.uk/discretionarygrants, call 0114 224 5000 or email [email protected]

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