The scheme closed on 31 May 2022. We have awarded business rates reliefs to all eligible businesses.
The scheme supported businesses affected by the pandemic but who had been ineligible for other types of business rates discounts and reliefs.
It took the form of a business rates relief for the financial year 2021-22.
The fund replaced the right to request a reduction in business rates from the Valuation Office Agency, on the grounds that COVID-19 has been a material change of circumstances which affected the rateable value of your property.
Eligibility
For part or all of the period 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, the following five criteria should have applied to your business. You must have:
- been liable for business rates
- occupied your business property
- traded from your business property
- not received either an Expanded Retail Discount or a Nursery Discount on your business rates account
- been adversely affected by the pandemic and have been unable to adequately adapt to that impact - this could include lost orders and contracts, lost revenue, significant additional costs and cashflow problems.
Amount of discount
We identified businesses we believed would be eligible based on the criteria listed above. The amount of the discount is shown on notification letters and new business rates bills sent to each business.
Subsidy allowance
Subsidy allowances restrict the amount of state funding a business can receive. The COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund is covered by 2 subsidy allowances:
- Small Amounts of Financial Assistance Allowance - you're allowed up to £343,000 (subject to exchange rates) over any period of 3 years
- COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund Allowance - you're allowed up to £1,900,000
Grants under these 2 allowances can be combined for a potential total allowance of up to £2,243,000 (subject to exchange rates).
This page was last updated on 29 September 2022.