Pendle News Room

Small and micro businesses have until midnight on Sunday 9 August to apply for a cash grant of up to £10,000.

Discretionary Grants are for businesses which don’t qualify for support from the Small Business Grants Fund or the Retail, Hospitality, Leisure Grants Fund.

Councillor Mohammed Iqbal, Leader of Pendle Council, said: “We’re pleased to open round two of the Discretionary Grants to support those businesses which continue to be affected by the pandemic.”

The Government expects Pendle Council to prioritise the following business types for these grants:

• small businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces, such as units in industrial parks, science parks and incubators which do not have their own business rates assessment
• regular market traders with fixed building costs, such as rent, who do not have their own business rates assessment. This does not include traders at Council managed indoor markets in Colne and Nelson as these are rated
• Bed and Breakfasts which pay Council Tax instead of business rates
• charity properties receiving charitable business rates relief, which would otherwise have been eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rate Relief.

Dean Langton, Chief Executive, said: “If you do not fall into one of the four categories you can still apply, but those within the categories will take priority.

“Grants of up to £10,000 are available but we expect to receive a high number of applications which means that many grants awarded will be less than £10,000.

“If you applied in the first round and your grant was refused, please do not reapply.”

Councillor Iqbal added: “We understand how difficult businesses have found these recent months and we’d like to help everyone but we are restricted by Government rules.”

Details about the Discretionary Grants, including eligibility and how to apply, are on our support for businesses page www.pendle.gov.uk/covidsupport