Funding & Financial Support

Government Business Support 

Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant

This fund, announced on 21 December 2021, is available to leisure businesses that provide opportunities, experiences and facilities, in particular for culture, recreation, entertainment, celebratory events and days and nights out. The full list of applicable businesses is featured below. The key features of this grant include:

  • Businesses with a rateable value of up to £15k will get £2,667
  • Businesses with a rateable value above £15k but less than £51k will get £4,000
  • Businesses with a rateable value over £51k will get £6,000
  • Businesses will be required to self-certify with an application to the local authority they pay their business rates to.
  • Funding will be made available to local authorities in January 2022. The scheme will close for applications on 28 February 2022 and all final payments must be made and dispersed to recipients by 31 March 2022.

Eligible businesses:

Please note that this fund is not applicable for tour operators or coach tour operators, please see details of Additional Restrictions Grant below, which may be suitable for you. The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant is also not suitable for retail businesses.

Download the factsheet

Download the Guidance for Local Authorities

How to apply:

This grant will be awarded through your local authority. Click here to find your local authority.

Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG)

A third round of funding has been made available through the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG). Once again, this funding will be allocated to Local Authorities to distribute to their local businesses. All ARG funding, including this tranche, need to be dispersed by 31 March 2022

Eligible Businesses:

The ARG is allocated at the discretion of distributing local authorities, however, this grant has been designed to support those who may have missed out on the Omicorn Hospitality and Leisure Grant (see above), including:

  • Hospitality
  • Accommodation
  • Leisure
  • Personal care
  • The travel and tourism sector, including, group travel, travel agents, tour operators and coach operators
  • Wedding industries, including, caterers, events specialist and hair & beauty
  • Nightclubs
  • Theatres
  • Events industries
  • Wholesalers
  • English language schools
  • Breweries
  • Gyms

All businesses must self-certify that they meet all eligibility criteria.

Click here to check your eligibility.

Download the guidance for local authorities.

How to apply:

This grant will be awarded through your local authority. Click here to find your local authority.

Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme (SSPRS)

  • Available for SMEs (i.e. employers with fewer than 250 employees)
  • Employers will be eligible for the scheme if:

                They are UK-based.

                They employed fewer than 250 employees as of 30 November 2021.

                They had a PAYE payroll system as off 30 November 2021.

​                They have already paid their employees’ COVID-related SSP.

  • Employers will be able to claim the costs for up to two weeks of SSP per employee that has to take time off because of COVID-19.
  • This two-week limit will be reset so an employer will be able to claim up to two weeks per employee regardless of whether they have claimed under the previous scheme for that employee.

Download the factsheet here.

Other support packages of note include:

  • VAT reduction - although the reduced 5% VAT rate has ended, if your business is in the hospitality, hotel or holiday accommodation sectors you may be eligible for the 12.5% reduced rate until 31 March 2022
  • Kickstart Scheme - Employers can apply until 17 December 2021 for funding to create jobs for 16- to 24-year-olds on Universal Credit.
  • New Recovery Loan Scheme for UK businesses from 6 April to 31 December 2021 enables businesses of any size to access loans and other funding up to £10 million.
  • Eviction protection extended for businesses most in need
  • Business Rates Relief - you could qualify for retail discount if your business is a shop, restaurant, café, bar or pub, cinema or music venue, hospitality or leisure business. Contact your local council to find out if you’re eligible.

UK Live Events Reinsurance Scheme

The government has partnered with insurers to offer a cost indemnification insurance scheme which will make cover available against the cancellation, postponement, relocation or abandonment of events due to COVID-19. The Scheme covers live events located in the UK and is currently due to end on 30 September 2022.  Public events, private corporate business events, association conferences and trade fairs are eligible.  Events such as office parties, weddings or social events are not included.

Culture Recovery Fund

  • Organisations who were financially sustainable before Covid-19 but are now at imminent risk of failure and have exhausted all other options for increasing their resilience can apply
  • Deadline for applications closed on 14 October 2021 but a further round of funding was announced on 21st December 2022.More details on how to apply will follow

National Museums and Cultural Bodies

  • The Arts Council is always looking for organisations, artists, events, initiatives and others to apply for their funding packages. Read more

NOTE: THESE SUPPORT SCHEMES HAVE ENDED