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Applications open for Omicron business grants

Outdoor seating at café

Sheffield City Council is now taking applications for the Omicron Hospitality, Accommodation and Leisure Grant (OHLG).

This is a one-off grant of up to £6,000 for businesses that offer in person services from their premises in the hospitality, accommodation and leisure sector. It is available to rate payers and non-rate payers and the amount of funding available will be based on the property's rent or other fixed property cost. 

In order to be eligible, businesses must meet specific criteria set by Government, which unfortunately means that not all businesses will be eligible.

We encourage businesses to check the criteria carefully before applying, and to apply as soon as possible. The deadline for applications is 16 February.

The OHLG is specifically for rate paying businesses. South Yorkshire has also received further funding for the Additional Restrictions Grants, which has enabled us to mirror the national OHLG scheme for non-rate payers.

To be eligible for a grant, businesses must be able to demonstrate that:

  • Their primary activity (more than 50%) is the provision of in-person services from their premises to the public on a face-to-face basis.
  • Their main service (more than 50%) is within one of the following sectors:
    • Hospitality (e.g. a public house, wine bar, restaurant, café, events venue)
    • Accommodation (e.g. a hotel, caravan park or B&B)
    • Leisure including entertainment (e.g. a theatre, casino, gaming club, museum, gallery, tourist attraction or concert hall)

The Government has specified definitions of in-person services for these three sectors:

For hospitality - a business whose main function is to provide a venue for the sale and in-house consumption of food and drink (not sale alone).

For accommodation - a business whose main lodging provision is used for holiday, travel or other purposes.

For leisure- a business that provides opportunities, experiences, and facilities, in particular for culture, recreation, entertainment, celebratory events and days and nights out.

Further, businesses also must be able to show that:

  • They have suffered a significant loss of trade because of the Omicron variant (non-rate payers only)
  • They were trading on 30th December 2021
  • They have fixed commercial property costs – identified by Business Rates or Rent (or mortgage payments)
  • Their premises is in Sheffield
  • They are occupying and trading from the premises

The following businesses are not eligible:

  • Businesses that are in administration, insolvent or where a striking off notice has been made
  • Businesses whose primary function is not to provide a venue for the consumption and sales of food and drink to members of the public
  • Businesses whose primary function is not to provide opportunities and facilities for recreation, entertainment, celebratory events and days and nights out
  • Businesses whose primary function is not to provide lodging for holidays and travel
  • Retail businesses
  • Personal care businesses
  • Office and manufacturing businesses
  • Sports businesses where physical exercise or training is conducted on an individual or group basis
  • Businesses that have already received grant payments that equal the maximum permitted subsidy allowances

Eligible businesses will need to provide the following evidence at the time of application:

Rate payers

  • A December bank statement for your business account
  • Total amount of all COVID-19 Business Grants received to date

Non rate payers

Three consecutive months bank statements (eg. November 2021, December 2021, January 2022.)

  • A lease or Licence agreement / Mortgage agreement
  • Total amount of all COVID-19 Business Grants received to date

Grants will be provided based on one grant per eligible property.

Sheffield City Council urges businesses to prepare this information now.

Councillor Paul Turpin, Executive Member for Inclusive Economy, Jobs and Skills, said:

“We are pleased to be able to offer financial support to some businesses that have been impacted by Omicron as applications for the Omicron Hospitality, Accommodation and Leisure Grants are now open.

“We have been able to use the Additional Restrictions Grant funding allocated to South Yorkshire by Government to ensure that this scheme is open to non-rate payers as well as rate payers and we’ve simplified the process once again to ensure it’s just one application. Unfortunately, we can’t automatically pay grants this time around due to the government regulations. So please check the eligibility criteria to see if this scheme applies to your business and apply now.

“Unfortunately, I know that this funding doesn’t go far enough to support some businesses who don’t meet the Government’s criteria and that this will be disappointing news to those who aren't eligible. 

“We understand what a very difficult winter this is proving to be for all kinds of businesses, and I urge all businesses to keep up to date with the other support schemes such as 50% rates relief, and the reintroduction of the Government’s statutory sick pay scheme. We expect to have more detail on these throughout January which will be shared on the Sheffield City Council website.

Businesses can find the full criteria and complete the grant application form at www.sheffield.gov.uk/omicrongrant.

If businesses are unsure or need further support in applying, they should contact the Business Sheffield team on 0114 224 5000 or by emailing BusinessSheffield@sheffield.gov.uk.