Applications open for hospitality and leisure business grants

Wiltshire Council has opened applications for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG), a one-off grant of up to £6,000 that is available to rateable businesses.

The grant is aimed at businesses in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors, with the value of grants depending on the business's rateable value. The OHLG is £2,667 for businesses with a rateable value of under £15,000; £4,000 for businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 and over to less than £51,000; and £6,000 for businesses with a rateable value of over £51,000. The deadline for OHLG scheme applications is 28 February 2022.

To apply, businesses should visit the council's website, read the application guidance, and carefully complete the online form. It is vitally important that applications are submitted correctly to allow them to be processed.

Cllr Richard Clewer, Leader of the council and Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: We're delighted to now be offering these grants of up to £6,000 to support rate-paying businesses in Wiltshire.

We know that the Omicron variant has made these past few months particularly tough for businesses in the leisure and hospitality sectors, as it has throughout the pandemic, and that's why we're doing all we can to support them.

Even if they have received a COVID business grant previously, businesses will need to reapply for an OHLG after carefully reading the criteria on our website. I'd urge all eligible Wiltshire businesses to apply for one of these grants as soon as possible so that we can start processing the payments that Wiltshire leisure and hospitality businesses need.

While the OHLG scheme is now open for applications, the council is still finalising Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), and businesses should sign up to the council's business newsletter for up-to-date information.

To find out more, apply for an OHLG and to sign up for the newsletter, people should go to: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/business-advice-support-covid19-grants