Updated: 30 March 2020
Business owners and employees in North Devon might find it useful to bookmark the web pages below and refer to them frequently for official updates relating to coronavirus (COVID-19) from government, councils and other organisations.
We will add resources as they become available.
UK Government
Announcements
The UK Government outlines its support for business at gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses.
The Chancellor has set out a package of temporary, timely and targeted measures to support public services, people and businesses through this period of disruption caused by COVID-19.
This includes a package of measures to support businesses including:
- a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
- deferring VAT and Income Tax payments
- a Self-employment Income Support Scheme
- a Statutory Sick Pay relief package for small and medium sized businesses (SMEs)
- a 12-month business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality, leisure and nursery businesses in England
- small business grant funding of £10,000 for all business in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief
- grant funding of £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with property with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000
- the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme offering loans of up to £5 million for SMEs through the British Business Bank
- a new lending facility from the Bank of England to help support liquidity among larger firms, helping them bridge coronavirus disruption to their cash flows through loans
- the HMRC Time To Pay Scheme
Further government information for businesses and employees concerning coronavirus is available at gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19.
Information for all sections of the community is available on the web site at gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response.
Government Business Support web site
A dedicated web site detailing government business support is at businesssupport.gov.uk.
Devon County Council
The Devon County Council web site also has a section on coronavirus tailored more specifically for Devon at devon.gov.uk/document/coronavirus-advice-in-devon/.
Heart of the South West Growth Hub
The Heart of the South West Growth Hub web site contains more business-focused information for businesses in Devon and Somerset at devon.gov.uk/document/coronavirus-advice-in-devon/.
Coronavirus Business Information Loan Scheme
The British Business Bank web site includes a link to the Coronavirus Business Information Loan Scheme (CBILS), which will temporarily replace the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG), at british-business-bank.co.uk/ourpartners/supporting-business-loans-enterprise-finance-guarantee/.
