Covid -19 Business Support Grants

This scheme is only available to rate paying businesses.

The primary principle of the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme is to support businesses that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premises, in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible to an Omicron Hospitality & Leisure Grant a business must:

• be the ratepayer on the Billing Authorities records of the property on 30 December 2021. 
• have been trading on 30 December 2021 (for the purposes of this grant scheme, a business is considered to be trading if it is engaged in business activity. This should be interpreted as carrying on a trade or profession, or buying and selling goods or services in order to generate turnover. Fully constituted businesses in liquidation, dissolved, struck off or subject to a striking-off notice are not eligible under these conditions)
• offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premises, in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors.
• have its main service  within the hospitality, leisure or accommodation sectors, as set out in the government's guidance. Please see the following definitions and exclusions listed below. (If a business operates services that could be considered hospitality or leisure, and also fall into another category, the main service can be determined by assessing which category constitutes 50% or more of their overall income). 

PLEASE NOTE: The ARG extension to the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme for businesses not registered to pay business rates closed to applications at 17:00 on 28 February 2022.

The national Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme for rate-paying businesses closed at 17:00 on 18 March 2022.

For the full eligibility criteria, exclusions and and how to apply - (This scheme is only available to rate paying businesses).

• This scheme is now closed

• We are sorry to say that this scheme closed to new applications at 17:00 on 18 March 2022.

  Applications submitted before this closing date will still be considered. Payments will be made for all successful applications by 31 March 2022. If your application is successful, you will receive confirmation when a payment has been made. If your application is unsuccessful, will will send an email explaining why.

This scheme was extended using ARG and made available to businesses not registered to pay business rates.

The primary principle of the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme is to support businesses that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premises, in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible to an Omicron Hospitality & Leisure Grant a business must:

• be the ratepayer on the Billing Authorities records of the property on 30 December 2021, and if not registered to pay business rates, able to evidence fixed business property costs.
• have been trading on 30 December 2021 (for the purposes of this grant scheme, a business is considered to be trading if it is engaged in business activity. This should be interpreted as carrying on a trade or profession, or buying and selling goods or services in order to generate turnover. Fully constituted businesses in liquidation, dissolved, struck off or subject to a striking-off notice are not eligible under these conditions)
• offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premises, in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors.
• have its main service  within the hospitality, leisure or accommodation sectors, as set out in the government's guidance. Please see the following definitions and exclusions listed below. (If a business operates services that could be considered hospitality or leisure, and also fall into another category, the main service can be determined by assessing which category constitutes 50% or more of their overall income). 

Scheme Closed

We are sorry to say that this scheme closed to new applications at 17:00 on 28 February 2022.

Applications submitted before this closing date will still be considered. Payments will be made for all successful applications by 31 March 2022. If your application is successful, you will receive confirmation when a payment has been made. If your application is unsuccessful, will will send an email explaining why.

This scheme is ONLY available to businesses registered to pay business rates. If you do not have a business rates account number, you will not be eligible under this scheme.

The intention of this grant is to support businesses that have been severely affected by the increase in Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant, whose main service is the business to business supply of goods and services to businesses in the Hospitality, Accommodation and Leisure sectors.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible under the ARG Omicron Supply Chain Grant scheme, a business must:

• be the ratepayer on the Billing Authorities records of the property on 30 December 2021, for a business property in the Doncaster Council area.
• have its main activity (50% or more) in the supply of goods and services, on a business to business basis, to a businesses within the Hospitality, Accommodation or Leisure sectors.
• be able to demonstrate the business has been severely impacted by the rise of the Omicron variant.
• have been trading on 30 December 2021 (for the purposes of this grant scheme, a business is considered to be trading if it is engaged in business activity. This should be interpreted as carrying on a trade or profession, or buying and selling goods or services in order to generate turnover.

For the purposes of this scheme an eligible supply chain business will be one whose main activity (50% or more) is the supply of goods and services on a business to business basis, to a business within the Hospitality, Accommodation or Leisure sectors. 

Scheme Closed

We are sorry to say that this scheme closed to new applications at 17:00 on 28 February 2022.

Applications submitted before this closing date will still be considered. Payments will be made for all successful applications by 31 March 2022. If your application is successful, you will receive confirmation when a payment has been made. If your application is unsuccessful, will will send an email explaining why.

This scheme is available to rate paying businesses and those not registered to pay business rates (but can evidence fixed business property related costs), and home based businesses with business related costs.

To apply for a one-off grant, to support businesses in the international travel sector that have been severely impacted by international travel restrictions and/or the rise in the Omicron COVID-19 variant.

Eligibility Criteria

In order to be eligible to an ARG Omicron International Travel Agent and Tour Operator Grant, a business must:

• be the ratepayer on the Billing Authorities records of the property on 30 December 2021. (if not a ratepayer, the business must be able to evidence fixed property related costs, such as a business mortgage or rent. Home based businesses must have other fixed business related costs, domestic costs will not be accepted),
• have been trading on 30 December 2021 (for the purposes of this grant scheme, a business is considered to be trading if it is engaged in business activity. This should be interpreted as carrying on a trade or profession, or buying and selling goods or services in order to generate turnover. Fully constituted businesses in liquidation, dissolved, struck off or subject to a striking-off notice are not eligible under these conditions),
• have its main service (more than 50%) to facilitate travel to countries that have been included on the Governments Amber/Red List including mainstream tourist destinations with Europe, USA, Mexico and the Caribbean.
• must be able to evidence existing (as of 30^th December 2021) membership of at least one relevant Trade Association/Consortia (e.g. ABTA, ATOL, AITO, Global Travel Group, Travel Network Group, Advantage Travel Partnership, Travel Trust Association and Worldchoice).
• have suffered a significant loss of income or trade because of travel restrictions and/or the Omicron COVID-19 variant,
• Operate from a business premises located within the Doncaster Council area of administration.
• Coach operators, must regularly provide day drips (or longer), to passengers travelling beyond South Yorkshire.

PLEASE NOTE: This scheme does not cover Taxi drivers or companies, Airport shuttle/bus services, limousine or similar services. 

Scheme Closed

We are sorry to say that this scheme closed to new applications at 17:00 on 28 February 2022.

Applications submitted before this closing date will still be considered. Payments will be made for all successful applications by 31 March 2022. If your application is successful, you will receive confirmation when a payment has been made. If your application is unsuccessful, will will send an email explaining why

The EU State aid rules no longer apply to subsidies granted in the UK following the end of the transition period, which ended on 31 December 2020. For more information about the new UK subsidy allowance rules please visit the page: COVID-19 business grant subsidy allowance guidance.

Where it is identified that any grant payment has been made as a result of error, fraud, or non-compliance, we are required to recover any grant awarded. Recovery is required, regardless of how any payment error may have occurred, and the grant recipient will be required to re-pay any grant paid in error.

Please be aware that any application made that is considered fraudulent will be fully investigated and will be reported to the National Anti-Fraud Network and Government.

Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme

Rateable Value, or fixed property related cost	Grant amount payable
£15,000 and under	£2,667
£15,001 to £50,999	£4,000
£51,00 and over	£6,000

 

ARG Omicron Supply Chain Grant Scheme (scheme now closed)

Rateable Value	Grant amount payable
£15,000 and under	£2,667
£15,001 to £50,999	£4,000
£51,00 and over	£6,000

 

ARG Omicron International Travel Agent and Tour Operator Grant scheme (scheme now closed)

Home based travel agents, or operators will be eligible to a payment of £1,000.

All other eligible businesses will be paid based on their Rateable Value, or if not registered to pay business rates, their fixed property related costs, as follows:

Rateable Value, or fixed property related cost	Grant amount payable
£15,000 and under	£2,667
£15,001 to £50,999	£4,000
£51,00 and over	£6,000

 

All grants are subject to an application being submitted, with all required evidence and information.

Due to additional fraud checks now required by the Government as part of this scheme, I am sorry to tell you the target timescale for awarding payments has had to be extended.

Please allow at least 21 days for your application to be considered.

We appreciate that this may be unwelcome, but ask businesses to remain patient whilst their application is considered. We appreciate you may want confirmation of the outcome of your application, but we are unable to confirm a grant will be awarded until all checks have been completed.

We apologise if your grant application takes longer to consider. This may be because we need further information from you or additional checks are needed before a payment can be made. This is often as a result of a discrepancy between our business rates records and the information you have provided on your application form.

If you have an outstanding application, please remain patient. A member of our team will be in contact if further information is needed from you.

Payments can only be made to UK bank accounts.

All payments are being made by BACS.

Payments can take between 3-5 days to reach bank accounts from the date of processing.

You will receive an email telling you when a payment has been processed.

Yes. If you are an eligible business, once your payment has been processed we will send you an email notification, followed by an award letter. The letter will include important information about Uk subsidy allowance requirements and your eligibility to a grant.

Yes, grant income received by a business is taxable. The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant will need to be included as income in the tax return of the business.

Only businesses that make an overall profit once grant income is included will be subject to tax.

Payments made to businesses before 5 April 2022 will fall into the 2021/22 tax year. Unincorporated businesses will be taxed when they receive the grant income.

We ask that you do not contact us to follow up on your request or payment. Doing so requires us to redirect limited resources to answer calls and individual enquiries. This slow our ability to check and process payments to everyone as quickly as possible. 

If your grant application is still outstanding, please remain patient. A member of our team will be in contact if further information is needed from you.

If you are checking the status of your request on MyDoncaster, this may show as 'closed' or ‘pending’. We apologise for this and any confusion this may cause. This does not mean that your request has been dealt with, and it may still be outstanding. We are looking to resolve this error and will deal with all requests as soon as possible. Once your payment has been processed we will send you a letter confirming this.

We thank you for your patience and co-operation.