Omicron Support Grants

Omicron Business Support Grant

The Omicron Business Support Grant application window closed at midnight 28 February 2022.

Please allow us up to 14 days to deal with all applications.

The Omicron Business Support Grant (OBSG) supports businesses in specific sectors that have been severely impacted by the Omicron variant but are not eligible for the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG).

Businesses may be eligible for discretionary financial support through the OBSG scheme, which is funded through the Council’s Additional Restrictions Grant allocation, if they operate within the sectors identified below, meet the required eligibility criteria and can show the impact of the Omicron variant on their business.

Before applying, please consider whether you are eligible for an Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG).

Which businesses will benefit?

The following businesses may be eligible:

Businesses in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors that do not pay business rates, which would otherwise have been eligible for OHLG, but have fixed rental costs for business premises.
Hotel and bed and breakfast businesses which are classed as domestic and subject to Council Tax if they are not in receipt of or eligible for the OHLG.
Businesses in the close contact sector, e.g. hairdressers, barbers.
Businesses in the travel and tourism sector, including group travel, travel agents, tour operators, coach operators.
Businesses in the events sector, including wedding industries, nightclubs, theatres.
Businesses which supply the hospitality, and leisure sectors, and trade over 50% of their turnover in those sectors, e.g. wholesalers, breweries.
English language schools.
Gyms.

If your business operates in these sectors but does not operate from commercial premises then you may be eligible for an Omicron Home Business Support Grant (OHBSG) instead.

Businesses who meet these criteria will need to show they:

Were trading on 30 December 2021 and continue to trade today.
Have experienced a fall in income as a result the impact of the Omicron variant.
Occupy property in which it pays business rates to Watford Borough Council (and is the ratepayer).
Or, if not business ratepayers, have fixed rental costs for business premises.
Bed and breakfast premises must be registered with the council.

How much will you receive?

For businesses paying business rates as the registered account holder, grants will be paid out as follows:

For business occupying property with a rateable value of £15,000 or less, a one-off payment of up to £1,000.
For business occupying property with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000, a one-off payment of up to £2,000.
For business occupying property with a rateable value of £51,000 or above, a one-off payment of up to £3,000.

For businesses that do not pay business rates, grants will be paid out as follows:

For business occupying property with a fixed annual rental cost of £15,000 or less, a one-off payment of up to £1,000.
For business occupying property with a fixed annual rental cost over £15,000 and less than £51,000, a one-off payment of up to £2,000.
For business occupying property with a fixed annual rental cost of £51,000 or above, a one-off payment of up to £3,000.

Ineligibility

Your business will not be eligible if it:

Does not occupy premises within business rates-paying premises.
Has received an Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant or Omicron Home Business Support Grant.
Is in administration, insolvent, has been struck off the Companies House register, or is subject to a striking-off notice or under notice.
Has exceeded the permitted subsidy allowance.

Subsidy allowance

This scheme is covered by three possible subsidy allowances:

Small Amounts of Financial Assistance Allowance – you’re allowed up to £335,000 (subject to exchange rates) in Small Amounts of Financial Assistance over any rolling period of 3 financial years.
COVID-19 Business Grant Allowance – under this allowance you’re allowed up to £1,900,000 across all COVID-19 Business Grant schemes.
COVID-19 Business Grant Special Allowance - if you have reached your limits under the Small Amounts of Financial Assistance Allowance and COVID-19 Business Grant Allowance, you may be able to access a further allowance of funding under these scheme rules of up to £10,000,000 across all COVID-19 Business Grant schemes.

Grants under these three allowances can be combined for a potential total allowance of up to £12,235,000 (subject to exchange rates).

Applications

Grant applications were assessed throughout the application window but grant payments will not be made until after the application close date. If the grant is oversubscribed individual grant payments will be reduced from the figures quoted above in order to support all eligible applications.

Any business caught falsifying their records to gain grant money will face prosecution and any funding issued will be subject to claw back.

Grant income received by a business is taxable. The OHLG will need to be included as income in the tax return of the business. Only businesses that make an overall profit once grant income is included will be subject to tax.

If you have any questions, please email our Business Grants team.

Please include the name of your business, business postcode, business rates account number and your grant application reference number (if you have one) in your email as this will help us to respond to your question faster.

Business support

There are further grant and business support programmes available from Watford Borough Council and its partners to support Watford businesses. Find out more about the programmes available on the Watford Business website.