Small businesses in Bexley encouraged to apply for grants up to £10,000

By Lachlan Leeming, Local Democracy Reporter

Small businesses in Bexley rocked by the coronavirus pandemic have the opportunity to apply for grants worth up to £10,000.

Applications to Bexley council will be accepted from this Thursday as part of a business grant round by the Government to provide extra help for small businesses impacted by Covid-19.

While the council anticipates it will keep applications open for two weeks, it has warned an influx of applicants would see the deadline closed sooner.

According to the council, only small businesses in Bexley which have ongoing fixed property-related costs and are outside the scope of the existing Government business grant schemes will be eligible to apply.

Due to the limited funding available, priority is being given to certain categories of business.

Cllr Louie French, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for growth, said: “We are pleased to be able to make this extra help available to small business, but we expect demand to be high and it’s unlikely that we will able to help everyone who applies.

“If you think you may be eligible, please act quickly and apply via our website, taking care to provide full and accurate information.

“Given the high volumes we expect, if your application is not complete, I’m afraid it will not be able to be considered.”

Grants awarded will vary. The minimum award will be £1,500 and the maximum £10,000.  Only one grant will be awarded to each business, regardless of the number of properties it occupies in the borough.

Bexley has already channelled £36m of grants to around 2,800 local businesses during the pandemic through previous grant schemes.

The type of businesses eligible to apply for the grant and the criteria used can be found here.

More information on other grants and business support in Bexley can be seen here.

Pictured top: Bexley Civic Centre