MWT Coronavirus Newsletter - Issue 29
Outdoor Attractions Closure
Please note that as of 12.01am on 14 December all outdoor attractions are now under a closure notice.

All indoor & outdoor attractions have now been closed.
Christmas & New Year Bookings
A reminder that the current Welsh Government regulations state that people are only able to share holiday accommodation with the people they live with (or anyone who is there to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person).
 
Unless the regulations in Wales change, this will also apply over Christmas & New Year with no relaxing of the rules to allow for three-household Christmas bubbles.

We share your frustration but we suspect with the increasing case numbers, and the very serious situation we now have in Wales that this is unlikely to be changed at this late stage.
 
Please ensure you read the updated FAQS below and if you have any additional queries please contact us.
ERF Restrictions Business Fund
The Welsh Government has launched the Restrictions Business Fund to support businesses that have been directly impacted by the additional restrictions put in place on the 4th December to control the spread of Covid-19.

Grants between £3k to £5k are available if your business or organisation is:

  • Impacted as a direct result of the additional restrictions starting on Friday 4th December:
  • In a property that is liable to pay Business Rates.
  • A rateable value up to £150,000
  • A hospitality, tourism, leisure, retail businesses or organisation
  • A hospitality, tourism and leisure supply chain businesses

Please note that some businesses will need to apply as these grants may not be automatic so please check with your local authority below.

Applications will open tomorrow.
ERF Restrictions Discretionary Fund
Application for the ERF Restrictions Discretionary Grant can be accessed by visiting the relevant local authority website. Direct links to the relevant web pages will also be published on the Business Wales website.

Applications will be dealt with on a first come first served basis. This may lead to applications not being appraised after they have been submitted if the fund is fully committed. We expect this scheme to be open to applicants tomorrow.

As was the case for the Firebreak Lockdown Support, applications are open to businesses that are not on the non-domestic rates register (NDR) and therefore not eligible for NDR-linked grants.
 
You are not eligible for this grant if:

  • You are eligible for, or have received a Non-Domestic Rate Grant from your Local Authority
  • If you have 50 or more employees
  • If the business generated less than 50% of your income, the business must be your main source of income.
ERF Sector Specific Support -
check now to see if you are eligible
The ERF Sector Specific Support (operating cost) package is targeted at Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure (HTL) businesses or supply chain companies who are materially impacted with a greater than 60% impact of turnover as a result of the restrictions. 

Eligible businesses will have to be employing staff via PAYE, and either VAT registered or (exempt from VAT) with turnover above £85,000, or limited companies with turnover above £50,000.

Businesses who have accessed the ERF Restrictions Business Fund could also apply for this fund if they met the eligibility requirements. 

For eligible businesses the package of support will provide the following grant awards:

  • For single employee business, minimum grant of £2,500.

  • SMEs (up to 249 employees) - £1,500 per employee up to a maximum of 10 employees, representing £15,000 or for those employing more than 10, £1,500 per employee or self-declared operating costs for the restricted period (whichever is the lower amount). 

  • There would be an upper limit of £100,000 for SME businesses with a digital system based application.

  • Large businesses (250+ employees) - £500 per employee for Welsh headquartered large business applicants to a maximum of £150,000, with a manual case by case application via the sector team.

Members are advised to use the eligibility checker which is now open and the fund will open for applications week commencing 11th January 2021.
Coronavirus Control Plan: Alert Levels in Wales 
The Welsh Government have released their coronavirus Control Plan which builds on the traffic light framework of restriction put in place in May.

The revised plan puts in place 4 levels which have been aligned to measures aimed at controlling the spread of the virus through the winter months.

It also sets out how Wales will move between these alert levels.

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As always, if you need any additional help or support please contact us