Here’s the lowdown on the Government’s new Kickstart Scheme – and how you could qualify to get started again post-lockdown.
The Government has introduced a range of measures to help businesses come back strongly after the Lockdown recession. There are grants for small businesses of up to £3,000 and new grants to employ young people and apprentices. This is good news …and can you make use of them to help you and your business?
Small Business Grants
In the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) area, like other communities, there are a limited number of grants around – so get your application in fast.
What can you apply for? Well, anything that helps you to grow your business; such as:
- IT ie, website development; CRM system; cloud-based storage, social media campaign;
- Professional services such as HR, accountants, legal, financial, IT or digital;
- Consultancy relating to marketing, market research and development, strategic development or product development;
- Minor equipment;
- Training;
- Bike racks, showering facilities, personal lockers or other core organisation costs;
- Physical changes to implement social distancing (e.g. perspex screens, minor building works);
- PPE like masks, visors or hand sanitisers.
Kickstart employment scheme
The Kickstart scheme is for young people who are currently on Universal Credit. The grant funding is for 25 hours’ wages per week for 6 months of minimum wage, plus associated national insurance contributions and automatic enrolment contributions.
Applications must be for a minimum of 30 jobs – and employers can partner together to reach this minimum number. Obviously this targets this scheme at larger employers and there has been lots of criticism that smaller employers are disadvantaged.
If you are a smaller employer, there is a government list of partner organisations here:
Apprenticeship Funding
The apprenticeship grants are different and apply to employers who hire an apprentice between 1 August 2020 and 31 January 2021.
- The apprentice must be a new employee to the business:
- The grant is age related: for apprentices aged 16-24 the grant is £2000, for over 25s it is £1500;
- Payment is made in two halves, one after day 90 and the other after day 365.
All apprentices need to be organised via an approved training organisation and spend 20% of their time in approved education.
Let us help you too
We want to help as well, by assisting you with reviewing your business and working out what things you can do to make a difference to your business. To do this, we are offering a free business diagnostic. We will help you to review where you are so that together we come up an action plan of ways in which you can improve your business. Email for more information or click here to book your diagnostic session… www.calendly.com/jonathan-jvca
#kickstartscheme, #smallbusiness, #semlep, #SMEkickstart, #apprenticekickstart, #kickstartemployment, #smallbusinessgrants, #accountants, #jvca, #recession
