Additional restrictions grants scheme launching in Bedfordshire

Central Bedfordshire Council will offer more support to businesses impacted by coronavirus restrictions

Author: Beth GavaghanPublished 13th Aug 2021

Central Bedfordshire Council is launching an Additional Restrictions Grants Scheme to help businesses that have been severely impacted by restrictions.

Due to the pandemic, businesses are only now getting back to normal after a rollercoaster 18 months of going in and out of lockdowns.

While the council has run similar schemes before, some businesses did not fit the criteria to receive the support.

Who is eligible?

The new scheme is designed to help businesses in the region that were not previously eligible for grant funding as well as: taxi drivers licensed by the Bedfordshire Council, businesses in the travel, tourism and events sector who previously received a Restart Grant, and businesses that would have qualified for the Grant but hadn’t applied within the required window.

Applications will be open for 4 weeks from 1st September 2021, and Grants will be awarded at the end of this window to allow the level of demand to be determined.

Executive Member for Corporate Resources, Councillor David Shelvey said: “We’re delighted to be launching this latest Additional Restrictions Grant scheme which will support sectors previously un-eligible.”

“To date, we have paid out almost £8.4M in additional restriction grants to 839 individual businesses, and I urge businesses who are eligible for this latest grant to apply as soon as applications open in September.” Businesses can visit the Council’s website for more details.

To support the local economy further, the Council is also partnering with various bodies in the region to deliver a comprehensive package of support for businesses. Their partners will include: Cranfield School of Management, Central Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, South East Midlands Enterprise Partnership and University of Bedfordshire.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Greatest Hits Radio app.