A Tourism Sector Support Package has been launched to help businesses start to recover from the impact of Covid-19. The package is the first to be approved from the £6.75m Norfolk Strategic Fund.
Led by Norfolk County Council, on behalf of the partners in the New Anglia Visitor Group (comprising all seven district councils along-with Visit East of England and New Anglia LEP), the project is designed to make Norfolk a safe place for visitors and local residents to enjoy.
Funding will be allocated to each district council and to Visit East of England, in order to create a quality visitor experience whilst maintaining public health messages to keep the county safe.
Details of the grants
Two grant funds are available for eligible businesses to apply for:
- Tourism Business Covid-19 Adaptation Grant; and
- Autumn and Winter Adaptation Fund.
Tourism Business Covid-19 Adaptation Grant
- A small business grant fund to support businesses in adapting to meet social distancing and hygiene requirements;
- The fund provides up to 50% of the cost of adapting a business in order to reopen safely and in line with the Government’s coronavirus requirements;
- Examples of equipment and supplies businesses could claim for include posters, signage, sneeze screens, floor stickers, sanitiser stands, consumable PPE;
- Grants of between £250 and £3,000 (specific numbers vary between district councils); and
- Available for spending which has occurred since 23 June 2020.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible, businesses must:
- Employ less than 50 people;
- Trade within one of the seven districts of Norfolk County Council;
- Operate within the tourism, hospitality, leisure, culture and visitor economy sectors (exclusions do apply for some district councils);
- Have not claimed any other specific grant funding to support re-opening activities, including the purchase of PPE, following lockdown;
- Have spent more than £500 on equipment or supplies to make their business COVID-secure (exclusive of VAT, where the business is VAT registered); and
- Must be able to provide receipts and photographs for all items claimed.
Details of the Tourism Business Covid-19 Adaptation Grant do vary depending on your local district council. Conditions, application information and eligible items can be found using the links below.
Autumn and Winter Adaptation Fund
This fund is to enable businesses to make any necessary adaptations to enable their seasonal offer to be extended throughout autumn and winter, where they are currently unable to do so.
- Grants of between £500 and £10,000 are available;
- The fund will cover up to 50% of the adaptation costs; and
- Examples of adaptations businesses could claim for include outdoor heating and lighting, insulation, temporary structures to keep visitors safe or dry and online / mobile-based interventions to reduce queuing, including ticketing solutions.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible, businesses must:
- Trade within one of the seven districts of Norfolk County Council;
- Operate within the tourism, hospitality, leisure, culture and visitor economy sectors (exclusions do apply for some district councils);
- Have spent at least £1,000 on adaptations to enable trading in the winter season;
- Demonstrate how their project directly assists with the extension of the tourism season for their business into the autumn and winter months (defined as October through to March); and
- Be able to provide quotes for items being claimed and invoices / receipts prior to payment.
Details of the Autumn and Winter Adaptation Fund do vary depending on your local district council. Conditions, application information and eligible items can be found using the links below.
Breckland Council
https://www.breckland.gov.uk/article/15223/Hospitality-Tourism-Capacity-Expansion-Business-Grant-
Broadland District Council
https://www.broadland.gov.uk/tourismgrants
South Norfolk Council
https://www.south-norfolk.gov.uk/tourismgrants
North Norfolk District Council
Details yet to be published online
Norwich City Council
Details yet to be published online
Great Yarmouth Borough Council
https://www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/coronavirus-advice-businesses