The deadline for Rutland businesses to apply for financial help to cope with lockdown-related restrictions has been brought forward.

Applications for grants funded by the government's Additional Restrictions scheme is now March 12- about three weeks away.

The government announced in November that it would provide a further one-off allocation of funding for Local Authorities to support businesses in their area. This is called the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG).

Rutland has received a total of £1.15million of ARG funding to support businesses and the wider local economy up until 31 March 2022.

To support businesses, Rutland County Council has used its ARG funding to create two unique and bespoke discretionary grant schemes, specifically tailored to meet local needs. They are called the Business Support Grant and the Business Recovery Grant.

Business Support Grants are for Rutland businesses outside the ratings system either mandated to close or severely impacted by the pandemic, with on-going business related fixed property costs. They can also be used to support businesses occupying rated premises that, whilst not mandated to close, have been severely impacted.

Business Recovery Grants are open to businesses that do not have ongoing business related fixed property costs, can show that the pandemic has impacted them and need funding support to help recover their business.

Coun Oliver Hemsley, Leader of Rutland County Council, said: "The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) from government is a finite amount of discretionary funding that can be used to support businesses and local economies until March 2022.

"This means Rutland County Council has some flexibility in terms of how it can allocate the funding, but the money won't be replenished by government once it's gone."

Coun Hemsley continued: "So far, our ARG allocation has been used to support a wide range of businesses from small IT companies, to driving schools and business in the events and tourism industry.

"There has been considerable demand for these discretionary Business Support and Business Recovery Grants, so we urge businesses still wishing to apply to get their applications in quickly."

The deadline for businesses applying to receive Business Support Grants and the Business Recovery Grants was initially set as 31 March 2021. Due to the number of applications being received and the rate at which funding is being allocated to local businesses, the closing date for both schemes has been brought forward to 5.00pm on Friday 12 March.

For more information about COVID-19 support for local businesses in Rutland, including details of how to apply for a Business Support or Business Recovery Grant, please go to: www.rutland.gov.uk/covidbusiness.

• As well as the government's Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG), Rutland County Council is also administering the Local Restrictions Grants.

Rated businesses mandated to close have received Local Restrictions Grants for the period 4th Jan – 15th February. We are aware that businesses will want to know what is going to happen beyond this date.

The Council is in contact with the Department of Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy (BEIS); this is the department overseeing the deployment of Covid-19 business grant allocations to all local authorities.

The government says the council will soon hear about arrangements from the 16th February. Rutland Council says it will release an update once it has been told.