Sheffield businesses closed in the national lockdown are set for a financial boost after Sheffield Council announced business grants will be extended to 31 March.

The Council has encouraged all eligible businesses to apply for the grants before the end of March, saying that these grants will provide the cash certainty that businesses need to plan ahead and open up again safely.

All businesses which have previously received lockdown grants will be reapplied automatically.

Sarah Roe, Clinic Manager at Sheffield Therapy Centre, said: “The process could not have been more easy and I’d really urge other small businesses to apply as this help could be a real lifeline and the difference between staying open long term and protecting local jobs.”

In its Spring Budget, the government announced that Restart Grants will be made available to businesses to assist them with reopening in the coming months.

Grants of up to £6,000 per premises will be available for non-essential retail businesses and up to £18,000 per premises for hospitality, accommodation, leisure and personal care businesses.

The Cabinet Member for Business and Investment at Sheffield City Council, Councillor Mazher Iqbal, said: “It’s so important that as we enter another month in lockdown we ensure that businesses continue to have access to the right support to sustain them until our economy begins to reopen.

“We will continue to work with local businesses and our partners in the city to develop schemes that will help ensure that businesses are best-placed to begin trading again in the coming months, when we hope to see our fantastic mix of shops, pubs, bars and restaurants thriving again.”

The majority of businesses are set to reopen on 12th April, including non-essential retail, hairdressers, gyms and beer gardens, at the earliest, requiring four tests on vaccines, infection rates and new coronavirus variants to be met at each stage.