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Almost 5,000 businesses receive grants as councils rise to the challenge
"It was a huge relief to find that applying for our Small Business Rate Relief grant took just a couple of minutes online."
Almost £63 million in grants has been distributed among nearly 5,000 small businesses across Warwickshire to support them as they face up to the enormous challenges of the Covid-19 outbreak.
At a time of unprecedented concern and need for support among small businesses, Warwickshire's councils have risen to the challenge of getting Government grants out as quickly as possible where they are desperately needed.
As soon as the government funding was announced, Warwickshire County Council began working in tandem with the five districts and borough within the county and with Coventry City Council to tackle the complex logistics of getting the much-needed support into the bank accounts of businesses.
The District and Borough Councils, which administer the grants, have now allocated around 60% of eligible grants, among the best-performing local authorities in the country.
That rapid turn-round of funding has been hugely welcomed by small businesses including Noisegate Media, in Leamington Spa.
Liz Katz, director of Noisegate media, said: "Very little has been simple or straightforward over the past few weeks, so it was a huge relief to find that applying for our Small Business Rate Relief grant took just a couple of minutes online.
"The swift release of funds – money in our account by April 9th - has given us a breathing space to adjust and regroup with our team and our clients as we work out how to maintain levels of service in these increasingly uncertain times."
The process remains very much ongoing. Business who think that they may be eligible for a grant should contact their relevant district or borough council. It is essential that they get in touch with their local authority to ensure the council has all the information required to process the application. For details please visit the relevant district/borough website: North Warwickshire, Nuneaton & Bedworth, Rugby, Warwick District, Stratford. Information on eligibility can also be found on the Warwickshire County Council website here.
Latest updates are always available on WCC’s Coronavirus web pages and at the CWLEP Growth Hub’s dedicated site.
Warwickshire County Council strategic director for communities Mark Ryder said: "Our officers have worked incredibly hard with our partners at district and boroughs and Coventry to get this money out quickly to where it is so desperately needed.
"It has been a fantastic effort from the staff at all the councils which has meant that businesses in Warwickshire have received vital and, in some cases, no doubt business-saving funding very quickly. Our thanks go to staff across the councils for all their fantastic efforts."
Further support is becoming available all the time and the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme opened this week. Full details of this and all support measures available can be found on the Warwickshire County Council Coronavirus Business Support website. For more information on the business rate holiday and local authority grant schemes please visit here.
Warwickshire County Council is working closely with CWLEP Growth Hub, Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, the Federation of Small Businesses, the District and Borough councils and other partners to co-ordinate and provide support to local businesses. The council, Growth Hub, Chamber and have received over 2,500 business enquires since the onset of COVID 19. WCC’s Customer Contact Centre alone received over 500 calls in two weeks from businesses, the self-employed and employees in just two weeks.The Growth Hub has conducted in-depth engagements with 472 businesses in Warwickshire.
Other actions taken by Warwickshire County Council include:
- Notifying all tenants of its Business Centres of a “no strings attached” blanket rent-free period for April, May and June with no expectation for the rents to be repaid.
- Putting over 1,000 small suppliers on accelerated payment terms to aid them with cashflow issues
- Freeing up £300,000 funding to enable Coventry and Warwickshire Reinvestment Trust (an approved lender for the Government Coronavirus Business Interruption Loans Scheme) to provide additional loans to affected micro and small businesses in Warwickshire.
- WCC’s Public Health team have produced a good practice guide to aid businesses who remain open, to ensure they are providing a safe working environment and complying with social distancing rules.
The Coventry & Warwickshire Growth Hub has a dedicated website with the latest information and businesses can call 0300 060 3747 or email support@cwgrowthhub.co.uk for support and request a call-back via an online form. Business can also join a mailing list to receive regular news and updates including the latest Government guidance for businesses and employers.
Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, who deliver the Warwickshire start-up support service for WCC and the District and Boroughs Councils, has issued some advice for start-up businesses and arranged some upcoming online workshops.
Many links for information on business support available can be found in the main article in the previous edition of Warwickshire Still Means Business.
For more information on the assistance currently available to your business, please visit these links:
Enterprising small bakery adapts to keep serving the community
It is the toughest of tough luck when the opening of the small business you have long dreamed of starting up coincides with a pandemic. But David Pearson and his remarkable team at Mor Bakery were not going to let that stand in the way of success. Brian Halford reports.
Many small businesses in Warwickshire have shown great resilience and adaptability to keep themselves and their communities going during the pandemic - none more so than Mor Bakery in Bell Court, Stratford-upon-Avon.
David Pearson had long dreamed of starting up a sourdough bakery, using traditional techniques to create organic bread and pastries. He had the skills, the passion and the team. All good.
But through no fault of his own, the timing couldn't have been worse. He found himself opening up in the midst of a pandemic.
Like all small outlets in the food industry, it was hit hard by the Government's social distancing regulations - but David and his team refused to buckle. Instead, they adapted.
Like many great ideas, the evolution was so simple, with the construction of a small serving hatch to enable the business to serve customers while observing social distancing. The hatch is open from 10am to 4pm Wednesday to Sunday - and business is booming as it continues to offer essential supplies to the community.
"MOR was always going to be an adventure," said David. "We just thought it would be framed around the bakery and kitchen and all the usual trials and tribulations that come with opening a new business. Instead, we were thrown into adapting in order that both us and the community around us survived.
"In normal times, over 30% of food eaten in the UK is provided by restaurants and pubs. We realised that, as restaurants and pubs were ordered to close, food supply chains needed to be redirected directly to customers in a safe and responsible way.
"The food was there, sitting in warehouses and fields, whilst supermarket shelves were emptying. We wanted to give our local community access to this food and ensure that the suppliers we depend on stayed operational and will continue to be there in the future.
"So we started offering essentials; milk, eggs, butter, flour, cheese, oats and vegetable, fruit and salad boxes. Vegetable, fruit and salad boxes based on weight and number of options were the obvious go to. These give us less reliance on certain items always being available and allow us to offer flexibility.
"Fitting the takeaway serving hatch, such a small change, has been pivotal. The idea came from a research trip to Copenhagen and a place called Mirabelle Bakery. It has proved invaluable, enabling us to serve customers in a safe way, helped by our location in Bell Court, where we've been allowed to mark our social-distant queue systems on the pavement to allow customers to stay a safe distance from each other."
The business swiftly produced around a Covid Risk Mitigation Assessment, based around World Health Oganisation workplace guidelines, which gives staff and customers peace of mind that everything has been done to mitigate the risk of virus transfer. An online delivery and pre-order for collection service for the local Stratford community is also up and running.
"We couldn't have done this without the invaluable skills of our team," David said. "Molly, our other baker, has a wealth of baking knowhow. Ellie is keeping the spirits of the whole operation and community buoyant with her positive attitude and friendly service at the hatch. Danni has brought the experience and connections from running her local event catering business, The Wild Oven.
"But above all, this experience has taught us all to be grateful for what we have. Our suppliers, with all the hard work they're putting in to make sure our shelves are stocked, have been brilliant. As are the customer who support us every time they buy from us. And each member of our family who support us in ways that are above and beyond.
"A month in, we have come so far - but there is a lot further to go!"
Coronavirus job retention scheme opened for applications
A major new strand of the Government’s support for businesses was launched this week with the opening of the furlough scheme on Monday.
The scheme, part of the package of support announced by the Government, allows employers to claim cash grants worth up to 80% of a furloughed employee’s wages plus any employer National Insurance and pension contributions up to a cap of £2,500 a month.
Applications have to be submitted through a new HMRC online portal – with correct claims paid by BACS within six working days.
Employers who have put staff on furlough because of coronavirus should check, before submitting a claim, that both they and their furloughed employees can use the scheme. They should also work out how much they can claim.
There is a list of the information needed to make a claim and details of how to claim on a new .Gov.uk site. Employers need to be registered for PAYE online and will need to have their Government Gateway user ID and password.
More information can be found here on guidance on the job retention scheme, claiming for wage costs, working out how much you can claim, what you'll need, and how to claim.
Employers can furlough anyone they employ provided that they were on PAYE payroll on or before 19th March and HMRC has been notified of payment via the RTI system. Employees can be on any type of employment contract, including full-time, part-time, agency, flexible or zero-hour contracts. Foreign nationals are eligible to be furloughed.
As well as employees, the grant can also be claimed for any of the following groups, if they are paid via PAYE: office holders (including company directors), salaried members of Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), agency workers (including those employed by umbrella companies), and limb (b) workers.
The scheme has been extended until the end of June, following the extension of the lockdown measures.
New support package for innovative firms hit by coronavirus
The Government has announced a substantial new support package for innovative firms hit by the coronarvirus.
The package includes a new £500 million investment fund, comprising funding from government and the private sector, for high-growth companies, as well as a £750 million programme of grants and loans for SMEs focusing on research and development.
The £500 million Future Fund has been designed to ensure that high-growth companies across the UK receive the investment they need to continue during the crisis. It will provide UK-based companies with between £125,000 and £5 million from the government, with private investors at least matching the government commitment.
These loans will automatically convert into equity on the company’s next qualifying funding round, or at the end of the loan if they are not repaid.
To be eligible, a business must be an unlisted UK-registered company that has previously raised at least £250,000 in equity investment from third party investors in the last five years. The fund, which will be delivered in partnership with the British Business Bank, will be launched in May. Further details on the eligibility criteria and fund operation will be published in due course.
The £750 million targeted support for the most R&D intensive small and medium size firms will be available through Innovate UK’s grants and loan scheme.
Innovate UK, the national innovation agency, will accelerate up to £200 million of grant and loan payments for its 2,500 existing customers on an opt-in basis. An extra £550 million will also be made available to increase support for existing customers and £175,000 of support will be offered to around 1,200 firms not currently in receipt of Innovate UK funding. The first payments will be made by mid-May.
For more information, please visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/billion-pound-support-package-for-innovative-firms-hit-by-coronavirus
* WCC works with University of Warwick Science Park to deliver a dedicated programme for high tech and other innovation-led businesses. For more information, please visit: http://www.business-ready.co.uk/
Hospitality industry providing amazing support for Healthcare
"Over the past few weeks, we have been blown away by the support the hospitality sector has provided"
A call out for hotels to offer rooms for use by the under-pressure health sector has met with an "overwhelming response."
The Covid-19 outbreak has triggered a tide of brilliant community work across Warwickshire - and none better than the response from the hospitality sector to a request for support for a Health Service facing unprecedented pressure.
Warwickshire County Council issued a call out to hotels across Coventry and Warwickshire to request support in providing accommodation to frontline workers and recovering COVID-19 patients. The council's partners Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Small Businesses did great work in sending out their own calls for hotels to come forward - and the response was immense.
More than 30 hotels, ranging in capacity from small, local hotels to large chains, have signed up to offer much-needed accommodation, covering areas including Stratford, Kenilworth, Rugby, Bulkington, Ansty, Nuneaton and Warwick. A total of 2,382 beds have been offered for front-line workers and 1,386 beds for COVID-19 patients.
Among those to step forward with help was the Mercure Warwickshire Walton Hall Hotel and Spa.
General manager Jo Hammick said: "The hospitality industry has been hit hard by Covid 19 and the impact on our team members has been immeasurable. Clearly, from a business perspective, the focus is on how we will move forward once the lockdown has been lifted, but offering support during the current pandemic is top of our daily agenda.
"We have reviewed our processes to enable key workers to safely stay in our hotels and have introduced social distancing measures to ensure tour guests can be accommodated and receive meals without risking their or our teams safety.
"We are also lucky enough to have several self-contained apartments which can be utilised by key workers in the area who are unable to go home due to high-risk family members."
Warwickshire County Council Business Skills Lead, Fay Winterburn said: "Over the past few weeks, we have been blown away by the support the hospitality sector has provided through the COVID-19 crisis. In a time where we have seen some suppliers ramp up prices, the hotels have been incredibly generous in ensuring their rates are accessible to those in need of accommodation.
"Our partners such as Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and FSB played a big role in calling out for hotels to come forward and the response has shown how well Coventry and Warwickshire has come together as communities to support each other in a time of need.
"We would really like to give our thanks to all those who stepped forward and worked with us to ensure where possible we stay open for business and offer the supportive accommodation needed during this time."
If any further hotels would be willing to help out, please complete the form: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NT8N6NN
For further details, please contact Fay Winterburn on faywinterburn@warwickshire.gov.uk
Coronavirus fails to put the brakes on Accelerate
The Accelerate project, which offers employment advice and support to people trying to break through some of the common barriers holding them back, is still accepting new referrals during Covid-19. Please visit www.accelerate.org.uk or contact our team on 024 7663 391 to see how their advisors can help you the way they helped Stuart, from Stratford-upon-Avon...
A secure job, a fulfilling relationship and evenings out watching live bands play your favourite tunes...it sounds like the recipe for a happy life for most people - and Stuart is no different.
After being unemployed for four years, Stuart was introduced to Georgina Bradley who works for Accelerate, an employment support service offered by Grapevine.
He was living with his wife, who also has some additional needs, in Stratford-upon-Avon. Life was good but not as good as it would be with the self-esteem that comes from earning a wage. His cleaning experience meant he was being offered interviews, but not the job he so desperately wanted to support his family.
Georgina reworked his CV and immediately recognised that Stuart needed her to attend interviews with him. At the very first one, with Goldcrest Cleaning, they found success/
Georgina explains: “Stuart’s autism presented some challenges but I was there to ensure we could overcome the challenges and work together to achieve his goal. Goldcrest Cleaning were impressed and offered him the job. They have been brilliant all the way through.”
Stuart is working at Welcombe Hills School (a special education needs school) not far from home in Stratford. His manager at Goldcrest, Lisa, worked with Georgina on his training in the early days to give him the best start. He is now settled and supported by both Lisa and the school.
Georgina said: “Stuart is going from strength to strength. I’m so pleased to have helped him complete the final bit of his puzzle to create a good life.”
Stuart and his wife are avid UB40 fans – they met at a concert – and are looking forward to going to see a tribute act soon and celebrating their eighth wedding anniversary later this year.
Accelerate is a partnership of local organisations that specialise in supporting people in Coventry and Warwickshire who would like to work but find it hard to get a job and enjoy all the benefits that employment brings. It is a Building Better Opportunities project funded by the European Social Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund and supported by Warwickshire County Council.
Stuart’s story helps to mark 25 years of Grapevine and their work to strengthen people who are facing all kinds of adversity. Grapevine helps all kinds of people experiencing isolation, poverty and disadvantage in Coventry and Warwickshire.
Survey underway to identify support needed by retailers
Retail businesses have been asked to complete a short survey to help Warwickshire County Council identify how it can best support the sector as it faces up to the challenges of the Covid 19 outbreak.
Warwickshire County Council town centres and tourism leader Rachel Baconnet said: "As part of the county council’s work to support business growth and development, our focus on the retail sector, and particularly the health of our town centres and high streets, has never been more important than now.
"We are calling upon all town and village retailers and business owners across the county to complete a very short survey to help us understand the support that businesses have already accessed, as well as to identify how we can best target our resources to support the sector as we move out of the Covid-19 crisis."
To access the survey, please visit: Warwickshire Retailer Business Support Survey
Big thank you for hero staff at George Eliot Hospital
"The thank you sign is our way of showing our support, and making sure that everybody working at the hospital, whether they are NHS or not, knows they are appreciated during this extremely challenging time.”
A Nuneaton company is lifting spirits with a special thank you sign made for all the hard working staff at George Eliot Hospital during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Saltem Ltd, based at Eliot Park Innovation Centre, managed by Warwickshire County Council, supplies a wide range of event management services for events, exhibitions, concerts, festivals, conferences, sporting events, carnivals, parades and more.
The firm arranged for the signs to be erected at the entrances to the hospital to boost the spirits of all staff, as they arrive to work
Les Peacock, owner of Saltem Ltd explains:
“Our NHS staff are doing an incredible job working around the clock to care for patients of Covid-19. But there are also many others who are not NHS workers, nor are they dealing directly with Covid-19, yet they are keeping the hospital running as normally as possible and supporting the NHS staff.
The thank you sign is our way of showing our support, and making sure that everybody working at the hospital, whether they are NHS or not, knows they are appreciated during this extremely challenging time.”
Over the years, Eliot Park Innovation Centre at Barling Way has helped many local entrepreneurs thrive, and has long enjoyed a high reputation for excellence as a business base with affordable, all-inclusive monthly fees, and efficient friendly support staff.
The County Council manages eight business centre sites across Warwickshire with more than 240 offices and light industrial units.
For more information about any Warwickshire County Council business accommodation, please call us on 02476 796400, or email eliotpark@warwickshire.gov.uk
Funding opportunity for businesses in the creative sector
The City of Culture University Partnership has launched a Feel Connected, Get Creative - Coventry Creates programme which offers funding to businesses in the creative industries.
The programme is offering £2,000 per project to commission a range of artistic works that can be shared digitally. It is aimed at artists and creative organisations in Warwckshire and Coventry who will then collaborate with researchers from the University of Warwick and/or Coventry to create novel artworks in response to research projects.
It is open to all types of research relating to the City of Culture Research Themes. Organisers are keen to see applications from new projects specifically about the Covid-19 crisis but projects need not to relate to the pandemic. Applications are welcome from anyone working in the arts including (but not limited to) combined arts, dance, film, libraries, literature, music, museums, and theatre and visual arts.
The commissions will be showcased in a digital exhibition later this year, to be curated by the University Partnership in conjunction with the City of Culture Trust. All works of art resulting from this call will also be digitally archived in the Coventry City of Culture Digital Archive. The Deadline for applications is noon on April 30.
Meanwhile, support for businesses in the creative sector is available from the Arts Council with a deadline of April 27 for the latest round of grants. For details, please visit: Arts Council Funding - Support for Artists, Creatives & Freelancers
Also, the Creative Industries Federation is offering six months free membership. For details, please click here.
Council laptops help Groundwork keep their projects running through lockdown
An organisation which supports disadvantaged people has received three laptops from Warwickshire County Council to help
enable their staff to keep doing their vital work from home.
As part of a recently closed scheme where the county council donated retired laptops to the Voluntary and Community
Sector, a request arrived from an organisation who was having to adapt their services to keep them running for the people of Warwickshire after the UK was sent into lockdown, with most employees required to work from home.
Groundwork UK, which deliver European Social Fund projects Progress and Community Grants in the region, contacted the
council's Economy & Skills office to take up the offer. Both those projects are continuing to operate during the lockdown but, with their office-based staff now home-based, Groundwork required more laptops to support the remote working.
They looked into purchasing some more but, given the circumstances, found this would take much longer than usual. The county council was happy to step in to support and provided three retired laptops, minimising the delay and allowing the money which Groundwork UK would have spent on additional laptops to go towards frontline services instead.
Warwickshire County Council assistant director (communities) Dave Ayton-Hill said: "Groundwork UK does excellent work in delivering projects across Warwickshire. It is fantastic, but not surprising, that they and other similar organisations are showing the skills and resourcefulness to adapt to the current situation and continue to deliver support to those who need it. The county council is pleased and proud to support them."
Advice on protecting your mental health during lockdown
These unprecedented times are placing immense pressure upon people who are trying to sustain and protect their small businesses and livelihoods.
There is a wide range of business support available in Warwickshire (please see the county council support page) but, alongside channelling energy into protecting our businesses, it is essential that we also protect our mental and physical health.
The Public Health England (PHE) and central Government advice can be found at www.gov.uk/coronavirus but you can find more local tips and advice on coping during this uncertain time, and the mental health and wellbeing support available to you in Warwickshire, by clicking here.
Further advice and ideas about dealing with the challenges of lockdown and staying connected with the community around you can be found here.
Businesses urged to keep fire safety as high priority
Businesses have been reminded to keep fire safety high in mind during the Coronavirus outbreak following reports of fire doors being propping open to prevent staff from touching handles.
While appreciating that the situation regarding coronavirus is unprecedented, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service has stressed that it is essential that fire safety remains a priority. The service has urged businesses to keep fire doors closed and adhere to the Government’s advice on washing hands regularly and maintaining social distancing.
This will not only ensure the protection of businesses and their workforces but also help minimise the pressure on emergency services. In addition, businesses have been asked to sure that automatic fire alarm systems are in good order to ensure that unnecessary call outs are reduced.
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service's Group Commander for Protection, Roland Bayley said: “We are aware that some businesses have been propping open fire doors to prevent staff from having to touch door handles. We know this has been done with the best intentions, however fire doors should not be propped open.
"They are there to save lives and slow the spread of fire to give your staff the time they need to safely evacuate the building. Without them, the risk of fire death greatly increases.
“Equally, we are mindful of businesses who may be storing extra stock in order to cope with increased demand. Where stockpiling of essentials has become necessary, be aware of the increased risk of fire. Please ensure that your stock does not come into contact with ignition sources such as heaters or light fittings and does not compromise any escape routes.”
Staff responsible for fire safety on the premises are also being reminded to review their fire risk assessments regularly, as the coronavirus situation continually changes.
This includes reviewing the following:
Staffing levels, for example in care homes, should be maintained to ensure the emergency plan can be effectively managed
Any contingency planning should include emergency evacuation
Maintain physical fire safety measures to prevent fire spread. We do not recommend propping open fire doors to minimise contact and spread of the virus.
Business are advised to follow Public Health Guidance, particularly hand washing and social distancing
Staff to be extra vigilant to prevent accidental fires, immediately reporting any issues identified.
For full fire safety information and advice, please visit https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/information-coronavirus/coronavirus-fire-safety-updates-businesses/1.
Also please see Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service's leaflet here.
Security advice for businesses affected by the Covid-19 outbreak
Warwickshire Police, Warwickshire County Council and other local councils are working hard with local businesses to provide security advice for those currently closed due to the pandemic or otherwise affected by it.
Many businesses have already implemented security measures including, of course, do not leave any valuables inside or outside your business during the lockdown.
To help businesses manage their security during the pandemic, Secured by Design, the Police Digital Security Centre and the National Counter Terrorism Security Office have put together a leaflet containing the Top 10 Security Tips for Closed Business Premises, the Top 10 Cyber Security Tips for Working at Home and the latest Counter Terrorism advice. These provides advice and guidance to help businesses review both their physical and cyber security.
Meanwhile, Trading Standards is warning residents and businesses to beware of COVID-19 ‘smishing’ and ‘SMS spoofing’ scams.
‘Smishing’ is where a fraudster will send out a bogus text message purporting to be from a genuine organisation or business. ‘SMS Spoofing’ also involves the sending of fake text messages using specialist software - however, in this case the messages appear in the chain of texts, next to genuine messages the mobile phone user has already received, making them harder to spot and appear more plausible. ‘Smishing’ and ‘SMS spoofing’ text messages may also be followed up by phone calls from the fraudsters.
Fraudsters are also seeking to take advantage of the fact that many investors have seen a fall in the value of their investments caused by a hugely volatile stock market. They try to exploit this situation by cold-calling or emailing consumers, offering people the opportunity to invest in schemes or products that appear to offer high returns in a difficult financial climate, sometimes by claiming that the investments are ‘healthcare’ related. In reality, fraudsters offer ‘too good to be true’ investments that are either worthless or don’t even exist.
For more information on all the above, and more security advice, please visit the Warwickshire Business Watch website.
* Warwickshire Business Watch has been created in partnership between the Warwickshire County Council Community Safety Team, Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner and Warwickshire Police.