Coronavirus - Support for Sheffield businesses

We're available to help businesses navigate their way through the available support.
If you have any concerns contact our team of advisors:

•  telephone 0114 224 5000 or
•  email businesssheffield@sheffield.gov.uk

Reopening as lockdown eases

We advise all businesses to follow government advice when re-opening. They have provided guidance on working safely during coronavirus for the following sectors:

• construction and other outdoor work
• factories, plants and warehouses
• labs and research facilities
• office and contact centres
• working in other people’s homes
• restaurants offering takeaway or delivery
• shops and branches
• working in vehicles

View the guidance for advice on:

• thinking about risk
• who should go to work
• social distancing
• managing your customers
• visitors and contractors
• cleaning and sanitising the workplace
• personal protective equipment (PPE) and face coverings
• managing your workforce
• inbound and outbound goods
• a downloadable poster to display in your workplace, to show you followed the guidance. "Staying Covid-19 secure in 2020".

We can help you to understand the advice. Contact Health Protection by telephone  0114 2735774 or email healthprotection@sheffield.gov.uk

Business support grants

These schemes are now closed to new applications.

Sheffield coronavirus business grant scheme (discretionary)

This scheme is now closed to new applications.

Sheffield night-time economy business grant (discretionary)

This scheme is now closed to new applications.

Business rates holiday

We suspended direct debit payments from businesses from April to June to allow them to adjust to the challenges of Covid 19.

• many businesses will have no rates to pay in 2020/21. Bills showing these reliefs will be issued in the next few days
• for businesses with a charge to pay, Direct Debit payments will begin from 1 July. Any businesses that need advice should contact BusinessRatesPayment@Sheffield.gov.uk

Businesses entitled to a rate holiday are:

• any property in the retail, hospitality or leisure sector
• Ofsted registered nurseries 

You can contact our business rates service at business.rates@sheffield.gov.uk.

Rent relief for council business and community tenants

We're providing the following support for council renters during the Covid-19 pandemic:

All non-residential council tenants

• we have suspended arrears enforcement action (for arrears under 90 days) until 23 August 2020

Exclusions

• action is delegated to the Chief Property Officer on a case by case basis for Ground rents, Agricultural rents, Telecoms rents and payments and any other property type not covered above

Service charges

• these will be reduced for tenants wherever possible to reflect any reduced costs of operating buildings (eg due to business closures) but service charges need to be paid in full unless a deferral is specifically authorised by the Chief Property Officer

We will assess each application on an individual basis, taking into account the type of business and its circumstances, such as whether it has been told to close by the Government or if it is affected by any general restrictions on businesses or movement.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

The Government will help all UK employers by:

• paying up to 80% of the salaries of employees who would otherwise have been laid off
• paying up to a capped amount of £2,500 per month

Employees must be registered for PAYE online in order to be furloughed, this can take up to 10 days.

Find out how to claim for your employees' wages.

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

You are eligible for a loan if your business:

• is based in the UK
• and has a turnover of no more than £45 million per year
• and meets the British Business Bank eligibility criteria

To apply for a loan you should contact your business bank.

Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan Scheme

Helps small and medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000.

• no fees or interest to pay for the first 12 months
• loan terms up to 6 years

You cannot apply if you’re already claiming under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).

If you’ve already received a loan of up to £50,000 under CBILS and would like to transfer it into the Bounce Back Loan scheme, you can arrange this with your lender until 4 November 2020

VAT deferral scheme

Businesses will not need to pay VAT from 20 March 2020 to 30 June 2020. All businesses are eligible and you do not need to apply.

Income tax deferral

Income tax self-assessment payments due on 31 July 2020 have been deferred until 31 Jan 2021

Statutory Sick Pay Relief

Changes have been made to Statutory Sick Pay so that people suffering from coronavirus can take the necessary time off to stay at home or to prevent it's spread:

• employers with fewer than 250 employees will be able to reclaim Statutory Sick Pay for employees unable to work because of coronavirus
• this refund will be for up to 2 weeks per employee

Support for self-employed people

The Government self-employed scheme will allow you to claim a taxable grant worth 80% of your trading profits up to a maximum of £2,500 per month for the next 3 months.

Support for charities

The Charity Commission has produced advice for the charity sector.

Charities occupying premises with a rateable value

• you may be entitled to a business support grant if that property is used for retail, hospitality or leisure
• see business support grants for further information
• refer to the Government business rates guidance to check that the nature of your business is eligible

Nurseries run as charities

• you may get support through discount of business rates. This will be applied automatically

Charities with employees

• you can use the coronavirus job retention scheme

Latest government guidance for businesses

Use the following links to get the latest advice from the government:

• Coronavirus support for businesses 
• Guidance for employers and businesses on coronavirus 
• Government guidance on businesses and premises to close 
• Government guidance for employees
• Support for self-employed people
• Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance