The shops, restaurants, pubs and other 'non-essential' businesses in Oldham who could be eligible for an instant £10k cash grant - here's how you will find out

Small businesses in Oldham can now access cash grants of £10k or more to support them during the coronavirus pandemic.

As of March 23, all ‘non essential’ shops have been closed as part of strict lockdown measures announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

The government has unveiled a support package for businesses that were forced to shut down, with many struggling to keep afloat in recent weeks.

These include shops, restaurants, cafes, pubs, bars, cinemas and live music venues as well as hotels, and gyms.

Oldham council is distributing the small business grant fund, and retail, hospitality and leisure grant fund locally.

Businesses are eligible for the cash boost if they were entitled to small business rate relief or rural rate relief on March 11 this year. 

Eligible businesses in the retail, hospitality or leisure sector will receive a cash grant of either £10k or £25k per property depending on rateable value, which must be less than £51k.

In addition to the grants, the town hall is also currently rolling out a 12-month business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality, leisure and nursery businesses in the borough.  

Council leader Sean Fielding said they are working hard to get the grants out as ‘quickly and efficiently as possible’.

“These businesses are the backbone of Oldham’s local economy and we are committed to doing everything in our power to support them at this worrying time,” he added.

The council will be writing to all businesses that officers believe may be entitled to the grants.

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Coun Abdul Jabbar, cabinet member for finance said: “I want to reassure businesses who qualify for these grants that we are doing everything we can to make the payment as quickly as we can.”

He urged people to visit the council’s website and complete the form at the earliest opportunity.   

A wider support package from both central government and the local authority for medium and large businesses and workers is also available.

It includes a ‘coronavirus job retention scheme’, deferring VAT and self-assessment payments and a statutory sick pay relief package for small and medium sized businesses.