South Yorkshire’s businesses to share millions in additional grants

Thousands of businesses and self-employed traders across South Yorkshire are set to share in additional grants from the region’s local authorities to support them through the pandemic.

Sheffield City Region’s Mayoral Combined Authority, comprised of Mayor Dan Jarvis, the Local Enterprise Partnership and the leaders of Sheffield, Doncaster, Barnsley and Rotherham councils, is in the process of distributing more than £30m of discretionary grants.

The money will help those businesses and self-employed traders forced to close or adversely affected due to local and national restrictions, such as leisure, hospitality and accommodation businesses.

When South Yorkshire entered the very high (Tier 3) local alert level in October, the Mayoral Combined Authority reached an agreement with Government for extra financial support for those businesses forced to close or adversely impacted by the measures, in addition to £11m for local authorities to invest in localised public health measures such as test and trace.

With a national lockdown now in force, this support grant still stands and will be distributed in one-off discretionary payments to eligible businesses and self-employed traders.

They are being encouraged to contact their local authority to check if they are eligible for support. Further details of the schemes are provided in the Notes to Editors.

Mayor Jarvis said: “COVID has caused significant turbulence for workers and businesses, so securing extra financial support when South Yorkshire entered tier 3 in October was of the utmost importance. Local authority leaders and I worked around the clock to secure as much support as possible from Government.

“We have been working hard to develop a scheme which makes every pound count, so it supports as many workers and employers across the region as possible.

“I’m pleased that this funding is now available, and I would strongly encourage any businesses or self-employed traders to check if they are eligible and apply.

“This package will help our businesses through difficult times as we look to recover from the pandemic as quickly as possible.

“I continue to press Government to support South Yorkshire through COVID restrictions, and to invest in long-term economic renewal at the Spending Review, by backing our Renewal Action Plan.”

Local Enterprise Partnership chairman, James Muir, said: “This crisis has highlighted the integral role businesses play in our communities and the livelihoods of the people living here.

“I’m pleased we’re able to support them with additional grant funding and urge South Yorkshire businesses struggling in these times to contact their local authority, and if they are eligible, to apply for support.”

Businesses looking to receive financial support through these grants should contact their local authority for more information and to apply.