Great Yarmouth Borough Council is inviting small foodservice and hospitality businesses in the local tourism sector to apply for grants to help towards the costs they incurred in order to adapt their business to become Covid-safe.
Businesses can claim 50 percent of their eligible expenditure between May 1 and July 31 2020, up to a maximum of £2,500, providing this exceeds £500 and they can prove it relates to equipment and supplies purchased to trade safely in line with the Government guidelines.
Applications to the £100,000 adaption grants programme are invited from hotels, guest houses and B&Bs, cafés, restaurants, pubs, and takeaway food outlets within the borough. Hospitality accommodation providers must demonstrate that they are part of the tourism sector.
Click here for the link to the online application form, eligibility criteria and further business advice. Applications close at midnight on Monday, August 24 and grants will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, with only one claim accepted per business.
Examples of items that businesses could claim for include posters, signage, sneeze screens, floor stickers and markings, barriers and other controls to ensure social distancing, sanitiser stands and dispensers. Consumable PPE such as gloves, masks and hand sanitiser can also be claimed.
The adaption grants programme is part of Norfolk’s tourism sector support package from the Norfolk Strategic Fund. The project, led by Norfolk County Council in partnership with all seven district councils and Visit East of England, is being put in place to help the tourism sector to recover from the impact of Covid-19.
Update your business continuity plan
The global pandemic has highlighted the importance to all businesses and organisations of having in place robust and up-to-date continuity plans, identifying key risks and setting out approaches for safeguarding staff, buildings, stock and their operations in a civil emergency. Businesses are advised to update their plans to reflect the ongoing situation with Covid-19, thinking through how they would protect themselves in the event of a second wave of Covid-19 and other potential disruptions such as severe weather, ICT system failure, power cuts, fire or chemical spills. The website of the Norfolk Resilience Form has free advice and guidance on how to develop your own plan.
Do you have your ‘Good to Go’ mark yet?
If you have read and applied the Government’s guidance, understand the guidance from Public Health England and have a Covid-19 Risk Assessment in place, you can apply for Visit Britain’s ‘We’re Good to Go’ Covid-19 consumer confidence mark to display at your premises. Simply complete a self-assessment here. To assist all businesses to meet their responsibilities, the council website has all the latest guidance and support for businesses, including funding opportunities, advice on operating safely, along with a downloadable pack of useful materials including safety posters. Click here.
What to do if a guest has Covid-19
Check our Norfolk County Council’s free toolkit for accommodation providers and the tourism sector, aimed at helping Norfolk visitors keep themselves and others safe. It contains a step-by-step guide on what you need to do in the unfortunate event of a guest with suspected Coronavirus, as well as a guest poster and guest information leaflet. Click here.