Oldham Council has already supported over 2,000 local businesses with cash grants

Only around half of businesses in the area have applied for the grants.

Businesses are being urged to apply for their share of the coronavirus grant funding available from central government.

Oldham Council have given out £25.8m to support more than 2,200 local businesses affected by the pandemic.

But that's only about 50% of all businesses in the area that are eligible.

Councillor Abdul Jabbar said the staff have been working really hard to process the payments as quickly as possible:

"We're currently also dealing with a large number of claims that we have received and i want to assure you that we're doing everything we can to process these applications as quickly as possible so please bear with us.

"We also know that hundreds of qualifying businesses have not yet made a claim.

"Oldham council is very keen to make payments to all qualifying business, therefore I am urging businesses who haven't yet applied please visit our website at oldham.gov.uk/cashgrants and complete the claim form - the information you provide will help us deal with your claim."

There are two types of grant funding available;
 
The Small Business Grant Fund (SBGF) will provide businesses with a grant of £10,000 to help support them during the Covid-19 crisis. This grant is for businesses, with a property, that as of 11 March 2020, were in receipt of Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rates Relief.
 
The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF) will offer businesses in these sectors across Greater Manchester a grant of up to £25,000. This grant is for businesses in those sectors with a rateable value of less than £51,000 and who would have been eligible for the Expanded Retail Discount Scheme. For businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or less the grant will be £10,000. For businesses with a rateable value of £15,000-£51,000 the grant will be £25,000.

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