£10,000 Small Business Support Grant Scheme (updated 30 March)

What is the grant:  An immediate grant of £10,000 will be provided to all small businesses who are eligible for the Small Business Rate Relief Scheme.
 

• Available to all businesses with a ratable value up to £15,000 to ease their immediate cash flow pressures. 
• Vacant properties are not eligible for this grant
• MLA Constituency offices are not eligible for this grant
• Business with multiple premises will only be eligible for one grant of £10,000 in total.

Scheme will cost £267,000,000 and assist some 27,000 businesses. 
Full information available at: https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/node/23015
How to check the ratable value on a property:  Businesses can check their NAV online: https://lpsni.gov.uk/vListNDN/search.asp?submit=form
 
The rating system will be used to identify eligible businesses.  Last year’s rating will be the basis for payment and businesses who are also eligible as a result of revaluation are also being identified.

How to access the £10,000 grant
If you pay business rates by Direct Debit

• Payment will be made directly into the bank accounts of eligible businesses which currently pay their rates by Direct Debit. Payments to these businesses are now being processed and payments will be in businesses’ bank accounts early next week.

If you don’t pay your business rates by Direct Debit

• Bank details need to be collected from eligible small businesses who do not pay their business rates by Direct Debit. If you think you are eligible for the £10,000 Small Business Support Grant, you should use the online web portal to register for the grant and provide bank details for grant payment.

Your registration details will be checked and if everything is in order, the grant payment will be sent directly to your bank account.

You can expect to receive the £10,000 grant payment around five working days after you have apply online at: https://www.covid-19smallbusinessgrants.economy-ni.gov.uk/
 

What you will need:
You will be asked to confirm:

• Your Ratepayer ID (shown on your rate bill)
• Your Occupancy ID (shown on your rate bill)
• Your sort code
• Your bank or building society account number
• Your e-mail address

If you don’t have your rate payer ID and/or Occupancy ID: These details will also be on any previous corresponded received from LPS.  Also you can contact the Small business Grant Scheme Helpline – 0300 200 7809

If you are a tenant in a unit and pay rate through your rent/landlord: For rental properties, the scheme is being designed to benefit the small businesses and not the landlord who is responsible for paying the rates.  You need to apply as outlined above for the grant scheme
You will need from your landlord your rate payer ID and Occupancy ID from the landlords schedule on the rate bill.  Each unit will have unique numbers.  If you / your landlord does not have these numbers, your landlord needs to contact the hotline
 
Payment to landlords:  For rental properties, the scheme is being designed to benefit the small businesses and not the landlord who is responsible for paying the rates. For this reason, no grant payments are being automatically issued to landlords of properties with a rateable value of £1,590 or less. Arrangements are being put in place to contact the landlord and small businesses concerned.


Small Business Grant Scheme Helpline - 0300 200 7809

Applying for the small business grant Small Business Grants Scheme - helpline now live. Please be aware: there may be queues due to large volumes of calls at this critical time.