Outdoor Hospitality Grant announced

A new Outdoor Hospitality Grant will shortly be available to Sheffield businesses who have invested in their outdoor premises to welcome back customers outside.

The grant applies to those businesses who are already open for outdoor hospitality and for businesses that are planning to open outdoor spaces but have not yet done so. Businesses must be from the hospitality, accommodation, leisure, and entertainment sectors and be able to demonstrate an outdoor hospitality offer.

Businesses should act now to prepare relevant invoices and quotes in readiness for applying when the scheme goes live next week. Grants will be distributed on a first come, first served basis, so businesses are encouraged to prepare to apply now.

Grants will be awarded for costs associated with adapting a business to increase capacity for outdoor hospitality, following the Roadmap announcement on 22^nd February 2021 or for planned spend on outdoor hospitality in the coming weeks. Spend must be completed by 21^st June 2021.

There are no automatic payments for the new Outdoor Hospitality Grants; whereas automatic payments have been made to businesses for forced closure grants, this is a new scheme which requires a new application.

Applications will open at 2pm on Tuesday 18^th May on the Sheffield City Council website, here: www.sheffield.gov.uk/outdoorhospitalitygrant.

Grant payments of between £1,000 and £3,000 will be awarded to cover either 100% of the costs or to part-fund larger costs (up to a maximum total spend of £20,000).

The funding will be tied to specific items of expenditure either planned or already paid for and can also be used to part-fund items. There are limits on the number of awards that can be made to a business: one grant per premises and a maximum of 3 premises per business.

Applications for funding must be made for specific items, such as:

• Shelters and gazebos
• Tables and chairs
• Decking and platforms
• Planters
• Marquees (purchase or hire)
• Payment terminals
• Signage
• Lighting and costs associated with the installation of eligible items

Heaters, licenses, legal fees, and wage costs are not eligible for funding.

Businesses will be required to submit evidence as part of their application, including:

• Invoices for eligible costs dated after 22^nd February 2021
• A bank statement to verify bank details
• Evidence of invoices being paid or valid quotes (where costs have not yet been incurred)

Businesses can apply to use the public highway or footway immediately outside or adjacent to their premises to deliver outdoor hospitality through the Council’s Temporary Pavement Café Licence scheme. This is free of charge and allows businesses to use outdoor furniture in these areas. More information on the Pavement Café Licence can be found here: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/pavementcafes.

For support and advice on accessing the Outdoor Hospitality Grant, please contact Business Sheffield on telephone 0114 224 5000 or email businesssheffield@sheffield.gov.uk.

Businesses wishing to stay informed with the latest updates should sign up to Sheffield City Council’s email alert service and follow Business Sheffield and Sheffield City Council’s social media channels.

Sheffield City Council’s Reopening Guide for Businesses has been updated to reflect the changes in guidance for Step 3 from 17^th May. Access the guide here: https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/coronavirus-business#guide