East Suffolk Council is now processing the payment of grants for Felixstowe businesses provided by the government in a response to new national Covid-19 restrictions.

The Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG) is available to businesses that have been required to close in line with new national restrictions which came into force on 5 November. These include non-essential retail, leisure, personal care, sports facilities and hospitality businesses.

To qualify for this grant, businesses must be in the East Suffolk area and have been:

liable to paying business rates as at 5 November 2020

Eligible businesses are being asked to complete a straightforward online form which will capture the data required by central Government and allow the Council to make payment to each eligible business as soon as possible.

Once each business has completed the online form, they will receive an automated email to confirm receipt of the form. The Council will then undertake verification checks and make payment of the grant as soon as possible. Once payment has been submitted to the business an automated email will be sent to confirm payment has been made.

Cllr Craig Rivett, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Tourism, said: "This is a challenging time for our businesses who have been forced to close their doors once again due to Covid-19. We have a responsibility to ensure they can access this funding as quickly as possible and by setting up a clear and straightforward online form, the application process will be as smooth as possible. We hope to encourage everyone who is eligible to apply and get the funding they deserve."

If you are not registered on the business rates system and/or your business is not eligible for the LRSG grant under the Government guidelines, you may be eligible for the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG). The details of this scheme are still being developed and once we have more details, we will announce it.

The online form and full details about how to apply with full eligibility criteria can be found here.