The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant and ARG grant extension announced ….
BACTA (Our trade organisation) has written to members advising on new Local Authority grant guidance for the leisure and hospitality sector as published by the government over the festive period.
The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant and ARG Grant extension were announced by the Chancellor last month, with councils expected to oversee distribution this year.
“The (Omicron) grant eligibility is largely the same as previous grants to hospitality and leisure businesses,” said CEO John White. “Businesses with a rateable value of up to £15k but less than £51k will get £4,000. Businesses with a rateable value over £51k will get £6,000.”
Leisure businesses are defined as a business that provide opportunities, experiences, and facilities, in particular for culture, recreation, entertainment, celebratory events and days and nights out. Amusement arcades are listed as eligible businesses in the guidance.”
For the ARG, all funding must be dispersed by 31st March 2022, with businesses required to self-certify that they meet all eligibility criteria, for Local Authority’s to then verify.
Councils are specifically encouraged to provide funding for hospitality, and there is no restriction on the number of grants a business can receive. (Subject to subsidy limits)
However, the recent addition varies from previous tranches in that councils are prohibited from using funding for business support activities, meaning all funds must be allocated as grant payments.
Pubs and Social clubs have been one of the worst industry’s hit by the Covid situation and will have an impact for a long time to come for many landlords. We have been encouraging as many of our pub and club customers to make sure they get their claim in for this grant funding to help them with the badly affected Christmas that was brought on by panic and worry that in government started.
Now that we are over all the restrictions Comrie has been speaking to our pubs and social clubs about the latest fruit machines to help increase income and get us all back to the income before all this started.