A new hospitality support grant is scheduled to be made available from the 6th of January and will be open to applications for 14 days until 22nd January. The new grant will be available from the South Somerset District Council and will be funded by the Additional Restriction Grant Fund.
The South Somerset District Council are offering this grant in an attempt to help boost businesses that have been most hard hit by the current covid-19 pandemic. It is unquestionable that the hospitality sector has experienced the most adverse impacts as a result of government guidance throughout the pandemic, which is why grants of up to £5,000 will be made available.
The Covid-19 pandemic has been a monumental challenge for many businesses trying to stay afloat. As social distancing restrictions have continually controlled and changed everyone’s day to day life, we eventually lost our freedom to go about our lives as we always had.
In March 2020, all hospitality businesses were told to shut their doors, ultimately causing the most drastic plummet many business owners have ever seen. The concept of going out for a meal, drink or meet up with a friend very quickly became a foreign concept; of which was soon accompanied by an undeniable sense of anxiety.
So, it is fair to say that the hospitality industry has not only been affected in a financial sense, but also faces the social challenge of encouraging people to break free from their homes and go out.
At Dexterous Designs we work closely with small, local businesses in Somerset that operate within the hospitality sector. It is for this reason we strongly encourage our clients and other businesses in Somerset to take part in applying for the new grant being offered. It is a fantastic opportunity.
It is worth being aware that these are always popular and heavily sought after, so we really do recommend getting any applications in asap when the applications open for submissions, otherwise you could miss out on the support.
To be eligible to apply, you must:
- Be the current ratepayer and be in occupation of business rated premises in the South Somerset area
- Offer in-person food and drink services to the general public.
- Provide food and/or drink to be consumed on the premises, including outdoors.
- Operate within the following hospitality-based sectors: food courts, public houses/pub restaurants, restaurants, roadside restaurants, wine bars, cafes, and nightclubs.
- 50% of more of the business’s income must come from in person services
- Businesses must be trading on 1st November 2021 and must intend to remain open unless Covid-19 Government guidance does not permit this.’
