Businesses can apply for share of £6 million Somerset economic recovery fund from July

Somerset businesses which have been hit by the coronavirus will be able to apply for a share of £6 million in grants from July.

Somerset County Council is launching the Somerset economic recovery fund to help businesses across the county get back on their feet after the pandemic.

The fund is designed to help the county's economy bounce back, with aid being provided for sectors which have been particularly hard-hit or not sufficiently supported during the earlier stages of the national crisis.

Details of how businesses and self-employed people can apply will be published in the coming weeks.

The fund was formally approved at a meeting of the council's cabinet in Taunton yesterday morning (June 21).

Councillor David Hall, cabinet member for economic development, planning and community infrastructure, described it as "an important step in placing the Somerset economy on the road to recovery".

Paul Hickson, the council's strategic commissioning manager for the economy and planning, said it was important that businesses had ongoing support to prevent large amounts of job losses.

He said: "We are seeing challenges with recruitment and people wanting to return to sectors in which they were employed before the pandemic.

"We may still see local shocks, such as with Oscar Mayer in Chard.

"We will be looking to roll out the measures in the fund in a sequence. We will be looking to launch initial measures in July and following it up in the autumn as well.

"We will be working with business organisations to leverage their networks and communicate with their members and stakeholders."

The council's move follows in the footsteps of other top-tier local authorities like Devon and Lincolnshire, which have both set up funds geared towards supporting businesses emerging from the pandemic.

The fund will provide direct financial support for both businesses and the self-employed, with an emphasis on "restarting hard-hit sectors and local buying".

Councillor Clare Paul, cabinet member for education and public health, said she hoped the fund would be geared towards supporting businesses that may have missed out on previous support from central government.

She said: "Tourism and the hospitality industry is a huge part of our economy.

"Some sectors of our economy have seen support, but others have been excluded. Can we make sure that we don't miss people that we've missed before?"

Mr Hickson responded: "As we roll out the direct financial support, one of the things we will want to understand is whether a business or individual has had support from the government in some way."

Further details about how to apply for the funding and the eligibility criteria will be published on the council's website in the next few weeks.