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Overview of government grants | Local Restrictions Support Grants (LRSG) and Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) | Birmingham City Council

Key announcements

Due to essential maintenance some of our online forms will be unavailable from 4pm Thursday 25 February 2021 to 9am on Monday 1 March 2021.  ​​​​​​​We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Coronavirus (COVID-19) National lockdown: Stay at Home

Local Restrictions Support Grants (LRSG) and Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG)

Overview of government grants

Last updated: 24 February 2021

Grant processing update

Local Restriction Grant Schemes - up to 15 February 2021

Payments have been made or are in the process of being made to all eligible businesses. For those businesses that have only received a proportion of their grant payments, subsequent grant payments for the latter grant periods will begin to be made from 24 February onwards and in sector order. We are working hard to get these grant payments made and will publish a timetable for the dates specific sectors will be paid shortly.

Local Restriction Grant Schemes - 16 February to 31 March 2021

As expected an announcement has been made in relation to the LRGS scheme for the period 16 February onwards. The following thresholds apply to LRSG (Closed) Addendum scheme for the 44-day payment made for the period up to 31 March 2021:

  1. Businesses occupying premises with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 or under on the date of the commencement of the widespread national restrictions will receive a payment of £2,096 per 44-day qualifying restriction period.
  2. Businesses occupying premises with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000 on the date of the commencement of the widespread national restrictions will receive a payment of £3,143 per 44-day qualifying restriction period.
  3. Businesses occupying premises with a rateable value of exactly £51,000 or above on the commencement date of the widespread national restrictions, will receive £4,714 per 44-day qualifying restriction period.

Guidance has been provided to local authorities which we are currently working through although we have NOT yet been provided with funds from Central Government. Our phonelines are very busy at present so please do not contact us in relation to post 16 February grant payments as without funds we are unable to pay these. Your call will prevent us helping other businesses with queries on pre 16 February grants.

We will update this website as soon as any further details and timescales are known.

If you have already submitted an application for a previous scheme, please DO NOT submit another application for the 16 February to 31 March period please. A second application will be flagged as a duplicate and will delay your subsequent grant payments.

One application and one reference number enables us to pay you all of your eligible grants.
Duplicate applications may result in your application being delayed, investigated or rejected.
Please bear with us as we continue to work on getting these payments out to you.
Your BRUM Account will also be updated over the coming days as we start to make additional payments.

Birmingham taxi sector scheme

The Birmingham taxi sector gramt scheme is aimed at supporting Birmingham’s hackney carriage and private hire taxi drivers who have been significantly impacted throughout the government lockdown restrictions.

See more details on the taxi sector grant scheme, eligibility criteria and how to apply.

Read further guidance on what you can and cannot do.

Grant payments

The following grants are available:

  • Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open)
  • Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed)
  • Local Restrictions Support Grant (Sector)
  • Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG)
  • Christmas Support Payment for wet-led pubs
  • One-off grant payments to hospitality and leisure businesses
  • Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Tier 4
  • Business support package for January lockdown
  • Closed businesses lockdown payment (CBLP)

In order to simplify the process for applicants, we will be using one application form which will include questions relevant to all grants. This information will then be used to determine what grant(s) businesses are eligible to receive.

Businesses will need to register for a BRUM account to apply for a grant, Create an account if you don't already have one.

If you already have a BRUM account, you don’t need to register again or change it to your business address. You can still apply for a grant and as you go through the form it will capture your business address.

You can use either your personal email address or your business address.

The name of your business may not appear in the look up and so please use your postal address to search when creating a BRUM account.

When registering for a BRUM account, you will be sent an email to validate your email address and so remember to check your SPAM or Junk folders.

Benefits of a BRUM account

  • Having a BRUM account will enable us to link to any previous applications for the Small Business Grant and the Discretionary Grant schemes and will mean we can process the application quicker
  • You will be able to see and keep track of any grant payments made in your BRUM account
  • As part of this process, we will determine which grant(s) your business is eligible for
  • Any future grant entitlements, as a result of future restrictions, will also be administered through this process, so you only need to register once and apply once.
  • You will have access to your Business Rates account
  • You will be able to view and receive your bills online

State aid

Please note that any grant award must comply with EU law on state aid.

State aid is generally prohibited by EU rules. Any assistance you have received, or are due to receive, from a public body may count as de minimis state aid. This could be any aid, grant or support from central, regional or devolved governments, agencies, or a local authority.

The application form will require confirmation that the applicant has not received any other de minimis State Aid.

For further information please visit the following link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/state-aid.

These rules will continue to apply following the UK’s departure from the EU until such time as the law is changed.