We have amended the eligibility criteria of the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG2) to enable more businesses to apply for higher values of grant funding.

The changes include:

• Removing the need for businesses to have been open and actively trading on 11 March 2020. Businesses are now only required to have been open and actively trading on 5 November 2020.
• Reducing, from 50% to 25%, the income reduction that needs to be evidenced by businesses. This evidence can be provided in several different ways e.g bank statements.
• Increasing the values of the grants. The self-employed (no employees) grant is now £4,000, the businesses with fewer than five employees grant is now £6,000, and the businesses with more than five employees grant is now £9,000.

We will analyse all grants that were rejected because of the original 11 March 2020 trading date and the 50% income reduction and award further grant money as necessary. We will also be awarding the increased level of grants to new successful applicants.

Business can continue apply for the ARG2 scheme via our website until 24 March.