Funding to help Sunderland businesses hit by omicron covid variant

Sunderland City Council will take responsibility for distributing Government funding to help businesses cope with the impact of the omicron covid variant.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a £1billion financial support package which includes two schemes to be administered by local authorities.

Eligible businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors will be able to access one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

To support other businesses – such as hospitality and leisure suppliers – the Government is also giving a further boost to the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) fund for local authorities in England.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has announced extra funding for businesses hit by the omnicron covid variantChancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has announced extra funding for businesses hit by the omnicron covid variant
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has announced extra funding for businesses hit by the omnicron covid variant

During 2021, Sunderland City Council received more than £9million in ARG funding, of which less than £45,000 is still available to allocate. The Government has advised that the ARG top up will be prioritised for those authorities that have distributed the most of their existing allocation.

The council is now awaiting guidance from the Government and confirmation of Sunderland’s new ARG allocation before providing further information on how funding will be administered and businesses can access support.

Read More
Get the best Sunderland Echo stories delivered to your inbox - here's how to sig...

Peter McIntyre, Executive Director of City Development at Sunderland City Council, said: “Businesses across the city have faced extreme challenges and uncertainty since the start of the pandemic.

Peter McIntyre, Sunderland City Council's executive director of economy and place.Peter McIntyre, Sunderland City Council's executive director of economy and place.
Peter McIntyre, Sunderland City Council's executive director of economy and place.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"When support was available, we worked tirelessly to ensure funding was distributed to provide a lifeline to city businesses as quickly as possible.

"We recognise the challenges now faced by businesses – that will inevitably hit our hospitality and leisure businesses hardest – and we will continue to work hard to ensure that, as soon as we have the guidance and funding allocation from Government, we can get to work ensuring this additional funding is allocated to eligible Sunderland businesses as quickly as possible.”

The Government has also announced it will reintroduce the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme, meaning businesses with fewer than 250 employees can claim back the cost of Statutory Sick Pay for Covid-related absences, for up to two weeks per employee.

A further £30 million will also be made available through the existing Culture Recovery Fund for cultural organisations across England.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Details of the grant schemes and all Covid-19 guidance for businesses and employers available, which will be updated as detailed guidance on the grants is received from Government, can be found here: https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/covid-19business

Support your Echo and become a subscriber today.

Enjoy unlimited access to all of our news and sport, see fewer ads, experience faster load times, test your brain with daily puzzles and get access to exclusive newsletters.

Your support for our journalism means we can continue telling Sunderland’s stories for generations to come. Click here to subscribe - and click here to get a snapshot of the Echo’s news and sport to your inbox through our email newsletters.