In this issue:

• From HMG – how BREXIT may affect you
• Leicestershire Business Recovery Fund
  

If you buy from, or sell to the EEC, just want to travel on holiday or invite an EEC resident to stay with you – from January 1st 2021 procedures are changing…. Here is the very latest information from HMG. Just click on: gov.uk/transition

The Government’s campaign – ‘The UK’s new start: let’s get going’ - will run across the UK and internationally to help us get ready for the end of the Transition Period on 31st December 2020.

The link above will provide guidance and assets to ensure your business, business representative organisations or your networks, can prepare and exploit new opportunities.

Please find below information on the new Leicestershire Business Recovery Fund, offering business grants between £2,000 and £10,000.

Leicestershire Business Recovery Fund has been launched to provide support for rural businesses and independent retail businesses, to enable them to overcome the impacts they may have faced, or are still facing, as a result of COVID-19. However, we have noticed that the criteria is very strict, so we suggest that you click open the following line to read more: For full details and additional criteria simply click the link to read more.

Grants are available between £2,000 and £10,000 (excluding VAT) and the scheme will provide 50% grant support, with the applicant providing the other 50% as match funding.

It is managed by Leicestershire County Council and funded through the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership Business Rate Pool, and has been set up to ensure business recovery, including supporting businesses to diversify and increase their digital skills.

Eligibility criteria applies including, but not limited to:

• Business must be located within, or locating to the administrative area of Leicestershire (businesses within the Leicester City boundary are ineligible)
• Employ less than 50 full time equivalent (FTE) employees i.e. a Micro or Small business
• Apply for minimum of £2,000 and a maximum of £10,000.

Before applying we advise getting in touch with one of the LLEP business advisers to go through the criteria in more detail, calling them on 0116 366 8487 (Lines open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm).

There is currently no deadline for applications, but businesses should apply as soon as possible as funding will be allocated on a first come first served basis.

From now on (unless it’s an emergency) deliveries to BID members will take place on Fridays only. 1 litre plastic bottles (with an integral pump) dispensing 90% alcohol based gel is still available at cost to us - £12.50 +VAT.

Please email steve@hinckleybid.co.uk when you need to place an order.

Hinckley BID’s state-of-the-art Footfall Monitors (10 locations throughout the Town centre) show that footfall has recovered over the past 2 weeks to 70% compared to 2019. This above national average, and as more businesses are able to open and more visitors feel safe, we expect this to recover fully over the next few weeks.

Please stay safe and well and if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask.

The Hinckley BID Team

Steve Wegerif (BID Director)
steve@hinckleybid.co.uk
07709 394841

Toni Scott
toni@hinckleybid.co.uk
07821 123026

Martina Smullen
martina@hinckleybid.co.uk
07496 839304