TIER Updates
- Details
- Created: 02 April 2020
Subject: Message on behalf of TIER: COVID-19 update 2 April
Dear TIER member,
We hope you are keeping well. Please can we flag a couple of urgent actions:
- All to share any evidence from viable companies that have approached banks and have been either rejected or are having difficulties please share the specific banks so they can be flagged.
- All to feedback on numbers of seasonal workers who will be missed due to the 28 February furlough scheme date.
If members can please send feedback to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. who will share this with DCMS.
Today’s Government briefing focused on a health care update, the full update can be seen here.
Latest Government advice and links
- The Department for Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy is encouraging businesses across England to contact their local Growth Hub, they can provide a free to use, impartial and local single point of contact to all businesses, so that they can access the right advice and support. The hubs can advise businesses on local and national business support including schemes in place to help businesses through the current COVID-19 situation. Find your local Growth Hub here
- The National Lottery Heritage Fund has put together a £50million fund to support the heritage sector as an immediate response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
- The £50m Heritage Emergency Fund will be available for grants of between £3,000 and £50,000. It is available to organisations across the full breadth of heritage, including historic sites, industrial and maritime heritage, museums, libraries and archives, parks and gardens, landscapes and nature.
- Organisations which have received funding in the past and are either a current grantee, or still under contract following a previous grant, can apply.
- Priority will be given where:
- there is limited or no access to other sources of support
- where heritage is most at risk
- where an organisation is at risk of severe financial crisis due to COVID-19
- Update to the guidance for local authorities setting out details of the Small Business Grants Fund (SBGF) and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF), outlining information on state aid, monitoring and reporting requirements, post payment checks, and the eligibility of charities. Also now available is the grant funding allocations by local authority.
- The Business rates: expanded retail discount – guidance has been updated to confirm that the government’s assessment that the expanded retail discount is not a state aid, and that local authorities should therefore award relief to all eligible properties.
- The 2020 National Living Wage comes into effect today (Wednesday 1 April), a 6.2% increase on the previous rate
Other travel measures, advice and updates
- COP26 conference, due to take place in Glasgow in November, has been postponed.
- The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) recently released a set of recommendations calling for urgent and strong support to help the global tourism sector. The recommendations fall into three key areas:
- Managing a crisis and mitigating the impact
- Providing Stimulus and Accelerating Recovery
- Preparing for Tomorrow
Situation update 2 April 2020
- To see the number of cases of COVID-19 in England and the UK visit the Public Health England dashboard.
- To see the number of cases globally see the World Health Organisation interactive map.
As ever, please do not hesitate to contact me or Patricia if you need any further information.
Kind regards,
Shivah
Shivah Jahangir-Tafreshi, Deputy Chair, TIER
C/O VisitBritain/VisitEngland, 4th Floor, 151 Buckingham Palace Road, Victoria, London, SW1W 9SZ
T: 020 7578 1138 | E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
