Discretionary Grants Fund Round 2 now open

After successfully lobbying and working closely with Kingston Council we are pleased to announce that the Council’s Discretionary Grants Fund Round 2 is now open. We hope this will be of particular help to independent businesses with a rateable value of over £51K and up to £100K, and businesses that did not benefit from the first round of Coronavirus grants.

The application window will be open between 12noon on 14 July and 5pm 31 July 2020. No applications will be assessed until the window closes and the Council anticipates first payments being made from week commencing 10 August.

Click here to read more on the Council’s website and apply.

Kirsten Henly, Chief Executive at Kingston First, said:

“We have been working hard to support businesses through the lockdown in a variety of ways, including making the case locally and nationally for financial support for businesses who haven’t been beneficiaries of Government grants to date. Our independent businesses are essential to the success of Kingston town centre. I’m delighted, therefore, that Kingston Council has expanded eligibility of the grant so that many independents can now get this much needed help at a critical time.”

This second round of 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).