Bars, restaurants, cafés, charities, artists, makers, childcare providers, retailers, small and micro businesses and those in shared workspaces may be eligible for a grant from Kingston Council in a special fund set up because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The application window for those in the borough of Kingston running independent businesses is now open for a share of the £1.5m pot. Apply before 5pm on July 31. First payments of the discretionary grant are anticipated to be made from August 10.

Berrylands ward councillor John Sweeney, who is also portfolio holder for business and leisure at Kingston Council, said: “Many businesses have been affected severely by the pandemic, and some smaller independent businesses have struggled disproportionately due to being unable to access other government funding.

“We want to help businesses through this difficult period by offering meaningful grants and providing a lifeline to some of those who need it the most, and help as many as we can with the limited budget available.”

The Discretionary Grant Fund has been set up by the Government to help certain small and micro businesses, as well as charities which were outside the scope of the previous business grant schemes.

The council has consulted Kingston Chamber of Commerce and the Kingston First BID in its second round of funding open to independent businesses.

Funding is open to:

• Independent hospitality: bars, restaurants and cafes with Rateable Values up to £100,000.
• Independent retailers in business property with Rateable Values up to £100,000 (and those below £51K that do not pay their own business rates and have not benefited from any previous grant that the landlord may have received).
• Artists and makers in studios/ shared workspaces without their own Rateable Value, and an all-inclusive fee to the studio/workspace operator of a minimum of £250 per month.
• Independent coworking and shared workspace operators that provide desk-based workspaces in a shared environment, with Rateable Values up to £51K.
• Independent Ofsted Registered Childcare providers/nursery businesses in shared workspaces, or their own business premises with Rateable Value below £100K.
• Small and micro businesses (up to 49 employees) in shared offices and workspaces or other flexible workspaces with fixed ongoing property costs, without their own business rates assessment (including those with contracts/memberships using fixed desks in coworking spaces).

Depending on the demand and to help as many businesses as possible, the eligibility thresholds may need to be shifted and grant levels adjusted. Therefore, applying for a grant and meeting the criteria will not guarantee a grant will be paid, or if it will be at a specified amount.

Read more about the grant, eligibility criteria, and the application and evaluation process on Kingston Council’s website before applying here.

Check your eligibility for other government grants and support on the government website here.