Omicron Additional Restrictions Grant now open

The Omicron Additional Restrictions Grant has been set up to provide direct grants to hospitality and leisure businesses that have been severely financially impacted by the Omicron variant and have not been eligible for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant.

This scheme is now open to applications. Please read the eligibility details and scheme document carefully before applying. If your business is eligible, please complete the application form without delay. The deadline to apply is 28 February 2022 at midnight.

Find out more and apply

09/02/2022

Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant

This grant is aimed at businesses in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors only. Please note that the government has determined the application closure date is 18 March 2022 and we must carry out prepayment checks and determine all awards by 31 March 2022.

In view of this, please ensure you submit your application without delay to ensure there is sufficient time to validate claims, complete the required prepayment checks and process payments to qualifying recipients by 31 March 2022.

The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant is only available to businesses on the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) ratings list.

Find out more and apply here

08/02/202208/02/2022

BH Banter – Feb 22

25/01/202208/02/2022

THE BOURNEMOUTH BUSINESS AWARDS ARE OPEN

The Bournemouth Business Awards focus on the quality and range of local businesses giving them a chance to gain recognition and promote themselves.

The awards are not an excuse for a party. The focus is on the entries and not the event. It’s a chance for local businesses to network while the awards presentation will also be live-streamed to reach the maximum number of people.

Tuesday, 25th January 2022 will see the official launch of the awards and entries open. Entry is free and businesses can enter as many categories as they wish. People can also nominate businesses they believe deserve an award. Please read the entry guidelines before entering or nominating.

To enter the awards, simply visit the Bournemouth Business Awards website.

AWARDS CATEGORIES

These are the categories, but If there are others you would like considered, please let the team know by emailing networking@marketingwest.co.uk

Best Place to Work
Best Use of Innovation
Excellence in Customer Service
Café, Pub, Hospitality Business of The Year
Green/Eco-Business of the Year
Health, Beauty and Fitness
Independent Business of the Year
Local Artisans and Produce
New Business of the Year
Outstanding Community Support
Professional Services Business
Retail Business of the Year
Young Entrepreneur/Rising Star
The Dorset Mind award for businesses that show an ongoing awareness and commitment to improving mental health in the workplace.
Overall Business of the Year

BCTC recognise the value these awards bring to the local area, and have decided to partner the awards. Our very own Jacqui Rock and Yvonne Phillips attended Bournemouth University and met Nigel Reeve from Marketing West Ltd to celebrate the launch of the awards.

25/01/202225/01/2022

The top issues facing your business in 2022

As we begin 2022, UK firms face an unprecedented business environment. The core mission for every Accredited Chamber of Commerce is to support businesses through these challenges. To inform this support and generate the evidence to shape government policy, we’re seeking your views on a snapshot of some of the key issues at present:

The impact of COVID-19 and Plan B restrictions;
Whether the Brexit deal is working;
Inflation;
Where the Government should focus its trade negotiation priorities.

Click here to take the survey

Your input is shared directly to the most senior policy makers in UK government, and has been used consistently to shape policy, including the introduction of many COVID-19 business support schemes. BCC research also receives widespread national and international media coverage.

As a business community, we can help support each other through the challenges and opportunities that 2022 will bring. Our collective voice has never been more important.

Thank you for getting involved.

Shevaun Haviland, Director General, British Chambers of Commerce

Resources for your business:

There are a wide range of resources at https://www.britishchambers.org.uk providing business support on trade, Brexit, and net zero, as well as webinars, research and news. And of course, please contact your Local Chamber of Commerce to look for solutions to any issues your business may be facing.

Start Survey here

British Chambers of Commerce
65 Petty France
London
SW1H 9EU

020 7654 5800
www.britishchambers.org.uk
@britishchambers

17/01/2022

ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE

IF YOU QUALIFY PLEASE APPLY BEFORE EOD 24TH JANUARY, 2022

BCP Council has announced that applications for the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) Stream 4, Strategic Business Round 2 are now open. Please see the information below and to apply:

Due to limited applications made for the previous Strategic Businesses scheme, the criteria has been changed. A new application window has been set up to support more medium and large businesses.

Eligibility

To qualify for a grant, businesses must:

be a medium or large business which employs over 20 people
have been severely financially impacted by the pandemic with a reduction in business income of at least 25% during a period of at least 6 months compared with similar comparable periods of trade
be able to demonstrate tangible outputs for recovery (capital expenditure is not permitted)
not have received a Local Restrictions Support Grant or previous Additional Restrictions Grant.

How much support eligible businesses will receive:

Grants to eligible businesses can be up to £25,000 in order to enable tangible outputs for recovery. This fund is a competitive process and each application will be assessed against the scoring matrix with recommendations made for approval by the Award Panel. As such only those with the highest scores from the Award Panel will be funded within the budget allocated. Applicants will be notified of decisions following the assessments after the end of the application window.

To request the application form in Word document format, please emailargstream4@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.

Once completed the form must be returned by email with the required supporting documents to argstream4@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.

By downloading and completing this form you confirm that your business complies with the eligibility criteria detailed above.

The application window is open from 10 January 2022 until midnight on 24 January 2022.

AND

OMICRON HOSPITALITY AND LEISURE GRANT FUNDING AVAILABLE. IF YOU QUALIFY PLEASE APPLY BEFORE EOD 14TH FEBRUARY, 2022.

It’s aimed at businesses in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors only.

https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/News/News-Features/COVID-19/Employers-and-businesses/Financial-support-for-businesses/Omicron-Hospitality-and-Leisure-Grant.aspx

07/01/2022

Christmas Party 2021

26/12/2021

Financial support announced for businesses impacted by the Omicron variant

The UK Government announced additional financial support for businesses most impacted by the Omicron variant, particularly those in Hospitality and Leisure:

Businesses in the hospitality and leisure sectors in England will be eligible for one-off grants of up to £6,000 per premises, plus more discretionary funding will be made available for local authorities to support other businesses
Government will also cover the cost of Statutory Sick Pay for Covid-related absences for small and medium-sized employers across the UK
Further funding will be made available through the Culture Recovery Fund, enabling more cultural organisations in England to apply for support during the winter

BCP Council is currently awaiting further guidance regarding eligibility, timing and grant allocations and will communicate updates via our business newsletter, website and social media as soon as possible.

Find out more here from UK Gov.uk.

15/12/2021