How Can I Secure a Local Authority Grant?
You may be wondering how a local authority grant can help your business. You wouldn’t be the only one after the year we’ve had. Although a lot of covid-related support grants have shut, local authority grants are still available.
Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG)
The ARG is a local authority grant that is still open to businesses that are impacted by restrictions. It is up to a local council to decide which business to support and determine the amount of funding awarded.
Eligibility
Local authorities have the freedom to determine the eligibility criteria for these grants. So, it is best to check on your local council’s website to see if you’re eligible. However, they are encouraged to support businesses from:
- All sectors that have been severely impacted by restrictions but aren’t eligible for the Restart Grant scheme. This is including those businesses that don’t pay business rates.
- Sectors that remain closed or severely impacted by the extended restrictions even if they have received Restart Grants. This may include the travel, tourism, wedding industries, nightclubs, theatres, freelance and mobile businesses, wholesalers, events industries, beauty and more.
You cannot get funding if:
- Your business is insolvent, in administration, or has been struck off the Companies House register
- You have exceeded the permitted subsidy allowance
Subsidy allowance:
The new domestic subsidy allowance took effect on 4 March 2021. The scheme is covered by three subsidy allowances:
- Small Amounts of Financial Assistance Allowance – up to £335,000 (subject to exchange rates) over any period of 3 years.
- COVID-19 Business Grant Allowance – up to £1,600,000
- COVID-19 Business Grant Special Allowance – if you reached your limits under the Small Amounts of Financial Assistance Allowance and Business Grant Allowance, you may be able to access a further
What is the business information needed to apply for a local authority’s ARG?
The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) is still supporting businesses impacted by COVID-19.
- Business name
- Business trading address
- Unique identifier (preferably Company Reference Number (CRN) if applicable). If not – VAT Registration Number, Self-Assessment/Partnership Number, National Insurance Number, Unique Taxpayer Reference, Registered Charity Number will also be accepted.
- High-level SIC Code
- Nature of Business
- Date of business established
- Number of employees
- Business rate account number (if applicable)
- Cumulative total of previous funding received under all COVID-19 grants schemes
Visit your local council’s website to find out how to apply and the deadline.
Covid recovery grants are the only local authority grants going. You will have to contact your local authority to see what grants they have going. They often have grants in a variety of sectors with some niche objectives.
3 tips to win a local authority grant
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Don’t use overly complicated technical jargon
A lot of the time if you’re applying for a local authority grant, they won’t be experts in your business area. This means that you should avoid using overly technical and industry jargon where possible. If you think including technical jargon will make you seem smart, it may have the opposite effect. You want them to be able to understand what you’re talking about. If they don’t, you may not be successful.
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Make sure the grant is right for your business
You should be applying for local authority grants that fit your objectives. You should never change your business/project to make it try and fit a grant opportunity. This is never a good idea. You should look for one that matches your objectives and one that feels right. Ask yourself:
- Do the funder’s aims and objectives align with your own?
- Will you need to provide a matching amount of funding from another source?
- Are you able to do this if it’s required?
- Do you meet the eligibility criteria?
- Do they offer the amount of funding you require?
A great way to decide if a grant opportunity is right for your business is by doing a SWOT analysis. You should assess the:
- Strengths
- Weaknesses
- Opportunities
- Threats
Once you’ve established that it is an opportunity worth going for, you can go ahead and start applying. It’s best to start planning as soon as possible. A lot of local authority grants are on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, planning your response early is essential to help increase your chances of success. This is a good tip to help you secure a cash grant for small businesses.
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Include evidence
Backing up any claim with statistics and facts really strengthens your claim. A local authority grant will likely require you to include evidence in your response. This is what can separate you from your competitors. Including hard numbers and research you’ve done yourself will help you excel.
Most local authority grants will require you to include evidence of a business plan. This will likely include a statement of your company’s finances and balance sheet. If you’ve just set up, you may be required to provide projections of profits and losses.
Hopefully, these three tips will help you succeed with your next local authority grant application. Don’t be disheartened if at first you don’t succeed. Grants are becoming more and more competitive. If you follow our tips, you’ll be well on your way to securing a grant for your business.
If you’re still unsure about how to formulate a winning grant application, we can help. Our Grant Writing Consultants can help increase your chances of success.
How can we help?
Grant Writing Service is for businesses who want to start applying for grants, but don’t know where to begin. Our Grant Writing Consultants have over 60 years of experience in bidding for funding and grants. From start-up business grants to self-employed business grants. They can take care of the whole thing for you – they’ll even submit it on your behalf.
Get in touch to find out how we can help your business grow!
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