>August Events / Business Editorials / Events in Norfolk and Suffolk / Food and Drink / Tourist Attractions Norfolk and Suffolk August 17, 2020
COVID-19 Business Adaptation Grants for hospitality and food service sectors (tourism)
Great Yarmouth Borough Council is inviting small foodservice and hospitality businesses in the local tourism sector to apply for grants to help towards the costs they incurred in order to adapt their business to become Covid-safe.
Businesses can claim 50 per cent of their eligible expenditure between May 1 and July 31 2020, up to a maximum of £2,500, providing this exceeds £500 and they can prove it relates to equipment and supplies purchased to trade safely in line with the Government guidelines.
Applications to the £100,000 adaption grants programme are invited from hotels, guest houses and B&Bs, cafés, restaurants, pubs, and takeaway food outlets within the borough. Hospitality accommodation providers must demonstrate that they are part of the tourism sector.
Visit www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/coronavirus-advice-businesses for the link to the online application form, eligibility criteria and further business advice. Applications close at midnight on Monday, August 24 and grants will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, with only one claim accepted per business.
Examples of items that businesses could claim for include posters, signage, sneeze screens, floor stickers and markings, barriers and other controls to ensure social distancing, sanitiser stands and dispensers. Consumable PPE such as gloves, masks and hand sanitiser can also be claimed.
The adaption grants programme is part of Norfolk’s tourism sector support package from the Norfolk Strategic Fund. The project, led by Norfolk County Council in partnership with all seven district councils and Visit East of England, is being put in place to help the tourism sector to recover from the impact of Covid-19.
Cllr Carl Smith and Cllr Trevor Wainwright, leaders of the council’s main political groups, said: “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 small grants programme, from Norfolk’s tourism sector support package, provides an extra helping hand specifically to assist small foodservice and hospitality businesses within our crucial tourism sector with their adaption expenditure.
“We know this additional targeted support will be welcomed by those small businesses, which had to incur additional costs during a challenging and uncertain time in order to meet the national regulations and ensure the safety of their customers and staff.”
