England is once again in a national lockdown. This means that non-essential businesses must close (apart from where they can provide click-and-collect or delivery), and people must only leave home for work if they cannot work from home. On 22 February, the Prime Minister revealed a roadmap out of lockdown. Visit the Government website for more of the latest guidance.
We have collected resources, including grants and safe workplace guidance below. Scroll down, or click the links below to view the relevant information. You may also want to visit our latest news page.
Grants, Support & Funding Opportunities
Safe Workplaces & Staying Covid Secure
Grants, Support & Funding Opportunities
On Jan 5 2021 the Chancellor announced a new package of support for businesses. The announcement included:
- One-off top up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 per property to help businesses through to the Spring. This grant is based on rateable value.
- £594 million discretionary fund also made available to support other impacted businesses
- £1.1 billion further discretionary grant funding for Local Authorities, Local Restriction Support Grants worth up to £3,000 a month
- Extension of furlough scheme till the end of April 2021.
The next Chancellor's Budget, to be announced on March 3, will include further details of business support.
Grants
A range of grants are available for businesses. Most of these need to be applied for via your local authority’s website.
Norwich City Council Covid Grant Hub
Broadland Council Hub
Norfolk County Council Covid Grant & Support Hub
Check for grants on the Government website.
You can also find a comprehensive list of grants available on the New Anglia Growth Hub website, under Funding Opportunities.
Loans
The Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS), and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) have both been extended until 31st March 2021.
If you have a current loan, or mortgage, you may also be able to pause repayments in a ‘payment holiday’. Contact your bank or lender to see if you are eligible.
Furlough
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, also known as furlough has been extended until 30 April 2021. You can claim 80% of an employee’s usual salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month.
Statutory Sick Pay
If you have fewer than 250 employees you can claim a rebate of Statutory Sick Pay for up to two weeks per employee, if the sickness or self-isolation is due to Covid-19, or if the individuals are clinically vulnerable and unable to work as a result. Find out more.
Safe Workplaces & Staying Covid-Secure
You will have already put procedures in place to make your business Covid-secure. It is important to ensure these steps are still being followed.
Risk Assessments
Guidance from the Health and Safety Executive on how to undertake a Risk Assessment for your businesses, Health and Safety law, and practical tips for managing risk in your business.
Workplace Surveillance Testing
You may be able to request Lateral Flow Tests for your staff. This helps to identify people who are not showing symptoms for coronavirus but are infectious. You can register for Workplace Surveillance Testing, which helps businesses provide symptom-free testing in the workplace, and keep your staff safe and well.
Free Physical Distancing Resources
What to do if there is a suspected outbreak
Safe Work advice from the Government
Business Toolkits, including posters, tips for dealing with media enquiries, and more.
Norfolk County Council Fire Safety Reminder
Click-and-Collect & Delivery
Whilst non-essential retailers and hospitality must stay closed, businesses are able to offer click-and-collect and delivery. If you are offering click-and-collect or delivery, let us know, and we will include you in the Norwich Directory, an online hub collecting all Norwich retailers and hospitality businesses currently trading.
Retail: can offer click-and-collect and delivery.
Hospitality: can offer take-away, click-and-collect, and delivery on food and soft-drinks. Alcohol can be delivered only.
Home delivery guidance for local businesses
Leisure & Tourism
VisitNorwich
Up-to-date advice on the tourism and leisure sector.
VisitBritain
Advice for tourism and event businesses affected by COVID-19.
Wellbeing
The pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have put pressure on everybody. It is important to take care of your mental health. Here are some resources which might help.
Government guidance for public mental health and wellbeing
Advice and information on how to look after your mental health and wellbeing during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Government guidance on supporting children and young people
Advice for parents and carers on looking after the mental health and wellbeing of children or young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
The PrOPEL Hub is a major new initiative designed to help boost productivity – and wellbeing – through supporting the growth of better workplaces in the UK. It involves partners from universities across the UK and the CIPD. It aims to provide practical lessons, ideas and tool-kits for businesses to draw upon, all informed by the very latest research and evidence.
What Works Centre for Wellbeing
An independent collaborating centre with a mission to develop and share robust, accessible and useful evidence that governments, businesses, communities and people use to improve wellbeing across the UK.
Mental Health in the workplace
Keep in touch
How you can keep updated:
- Keep in touch on social media. Follow Norwich BID on Twitter and Instagram
- Stay up to date with our news page where we'll be publishing latest information and guidance for the business community
- Sign up for the Norwich BID ebulletin which summarises important information for Norwich businesses.
- Contact the Norwich BID team for further information and support – see contact details below.
Key Norwich BID Contacts:
Please contact us via the emails below and a member of staff will be happy to call you back directly.
Promoting Norwich – for general marketing, social media and VisitNorwich queries and updates: Isabel Johnson, Acting Head of Marketing, isabel.johnson@norwichbid.co.uk
Norwich Experience – for Norwich BID supported events and City Hosts: Martin Blackwell, Head of Operations, martin.blackwell@norwichbid.co.uk
Voice of Business - for ALERT, 2 Seas project, city centre WiFi and operations: Martin Blackwell, Head of Operations, martin.blackwell@norwichbid.co.uk
For any other enquiry, please contact info@norwichbid.co.uk