£1 million grant scheme launches for Cheshire and Warrington small businesses

Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has launched a second grant programme to help small businesses meet the costs of Covid-19 restrictions.

The £1 million funding follows a similar package announced in August, and will be used to help businesses to find innovative new ways of working within the new three-tier Local Covid Alert levels. Warrington is currently in the Very-high Tier 3 alert level, with Cheshire East and Cheshire West and Chester local authority areas under Tier 2 measures.

Small businesses across Cheshire can apply for a grant to invest in ideas to boost revenue or increase Covid-safe measures to aid customer confidence. Grants could fund investments such as:

• establishing online sales and delivery services
• digital ordering systems and relevant IT such as tablet computers and contactless payment systems and other ‘untact’ technologies
• building alterations to create one-way systems, outdoor seating and serving hates
• fixed PPE equipment such as clear plastic screens and sanitiser dispensers

Grants can offer funding of up to 80% of costs, up to a maximum of £5,000; applicants must contribute the remaining 20% of costs. Applicants must be able to demonstrate that Covid restrictions have had an adverse effect on the business and have been trading for at least 12 months.

Clare Hayward MBE DL, Chair of Cheshire and Warrington LEP said: 

We understand how challenging the COVID restrictions are for business and these new grants are part of our on-going efforts to help.  We need to protect jobs and support companies across the board – but we are especially mindful of hard hit sectors such as the high street, tourism and hospitality. We are also making these investments because we want to underline the message that people can still enjoy going out locally while remaining within the restrictions and staying safe.”

The project is being managed by Blue Orchid Enterprise Solutions on behalf of the Cheshire & Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership. For further information and details how to apply, visit the Blue Orchid website.