11/08/21- Sefton businesses supported with £97.7 million in grant payments throughout pandemic

Sefton Council has supported its local businesses throughout the pandemic making 23,000 grant payments, totalling £97.7 million, through local, regional and national financial support schemes.

Rate paying businesses have also been helped through business rates discounts saving them £41.8 million during 2020/21, with a further £22.5 million in discounts awarded to eligible businesses for this financial year. 

Sefton Council has put together a snapshot of the support offered to businesses since the pandemic began:

• The Business Rates team has received 27,000 requests for assistance compared to around 4,000 that would usually be received annually;
• InvestSefton has dealt with more than 4,000 enquiries from manufacturers to cafes and all sorts of businesses in between;
• To date, the Council has administered 23,000 grant payments through local, regional and national financial support packages and schemes;
• That totals £97.7 million in payments to businesses right across the Borough – from taxi drivers to childminders to pub landlords – with the total expected to increase further as the remaining schemes and payments are administered;
• A total of £41.8 million in business rates retail discounts were awarded in 2020/21 with a further £22.5 million awarded in 2021/22;
• The Council has expanded its connections across the Borough, and after key Government updates it has regularly contacted over 2,600 businesses with the latest updates relevant to them;
• The InvestSefton website has had 40,000 visitors looking for help and support since March 2020 and similarly the dedicated Business Support page of the Sefton Council website has had 15,000 site visits from local businesses seeking support.

A snapshot of statistics of the support offered to businesses since the pandemic began:

Watch this video to see how Sefton Council supported local businesses throughout the pandemic.