Businesses reminded to claim ‘Covid-adaptation costs’ for sneeze screens and sanitiser

A council which has already handed out more than £30m in businesses grants is reminding industry professionals to claim ‘Covid-adaptation’ costs before it’s too late.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council has expanded its grant scheme helping small foodservice and hospitality companies in the tourism sector with the costs of adapting to ‘Covid-safe’ operations.

Businesses can claim 50pc of these costs up to a maximum of £2,500, provided they can prove it relates to equipment and supplies recommended within government guidelines.

Items that companies can claim for include posters, signage, sneeze screens, floor stickers, markings, barriers, sanitising stands, dispensers, gloves, masks or anything else which may be necessary to running a ‘Covid-safe’ operation.

To give people more time to complete applications, the council has extended its deadline by three weeks to September 14.

Those with a greater rateable value, of up to £150,000, are now also eligible.

On top of these changes, the cut-off date for eligible spend, originally set as July 31, has been removed - so businesses can claim back costs from May 1, 2020 up until the point they make their application.

Any hospitality business can apply - with hotels, B&Bs, cafes, restaurants, pubs and takeaway food outlets all welcome to a chunk of the £100,000 scheme on a first-come, first-served basis.

Other hospitality accomodation providers must be able to demonstrate they are part of the tourism sector.

Councillors Carl Smith and Trevor Wainwright, leaders of the council’s main political groups, said: “This continues to be a challenging and uncertain time for businesses, which have had to incur additional costs to meet the national regulations and ensure the safety of their customers and staff.“We’ve already handed out more than £30m in Government grants to local businesses, under both the local and national schemes, and we know that money has been a lifeline for many businesses.

“This new targeted small grants programme, from Norfolk’s tourism sector support package, provides an extra helping hand specifically to assist small foodservice and hospitality businesses.

“Expanding the scheme enables the council to help even more businesses, and the extra three weeks gives them a wider window to get together and submit their applications.”