Businesses encouraged to apply for Ashford discretionary grants scheme

Small businesses who have not been able to apply for previous grant schemes are invited to apply for the Ashford discretionary grants scheme from Thursday 28 May.

The scheme is for businesses within Ashford borough, and has a total of around £1.4m. It will be awarding grants of up to £10,000 to businesses who have been adversely affected by the coronavirus but have been ineligible for the government’s other business grants schemes. As directed by the government, the scheme will prioritise the following four areas first:

• Bed and breakfasts offering serviced accommodation who pay council tax;
• Businesses in shared spaces;
• Charities;
• Market traders.

Other businesses may apply, but will not be considered until businesses in these four areas have been awarded grants. The second prioritisation will be given to businesses who supply the tourism, retail, hospitality and leisure industry and who have suffered considerable loss of income and have high fixed costs. If funding is still available after these businesses have been paid, we will be assessing applications from small businesses who can show significant loss of earnings and high fixed costs.

The application process will start on Thursday 28 May and run until 23.59 on Wednesday 17 June. If you would like to apply, please visit www.ashford.gov.uk/coronavirus-advice-for-businesses and select ‘Discretionary grants scheme’. Please make sure you have completed and submitted your application by the closing date to be considered in any of the priority levels.

After the closing date, the council will be working through the applications and contacting businesses to let them know if they have been successful, and how much they will be receiving.

Cllr Gerry Clarkson, Leader of the Council, said: “We hope this scheme will help those businesses in Ashford borough who have been unable to claim through the government’s other grant schemes. I would encourage anyone with a small business who has suffered a loss of income but continues to have high fixed costs to apply.”

More information on all the help available to businesses is online at www.ashford.gov.uk/coronavirus-advice-for-businesses.