Businesses in West Suffolk who have not yet applied for the government Covid grants have until March 31 to apply for the full combination of funding streams if they are eligible.

Since March 2020 the government has launched a number of different grant schemes but, these are to be gradually phased out from March 31 through to May 31.

New applicants that have not previously applied and were forced to close at some point from November 2020 to March 2021 because of lockdown restrictions, only have until the end of March to apply in order to receive the full grant for which they are eligible.

Leader of West Suffolk Council, John Griffiths said: “We have already paid out some £95 million through grants and rate relief this financial year, to thousands of West Suffolk businesses since the pandemic began.

“Through the Additional Restrictions Grant, we have also been able to support many of the smaller home-based, mobile, and shared space businesses that sit outside the Business Rates system.

“The darkness of the past year is hopefully now lifting, and we are all looking forward, with the hope that mass vaccination brings, to more of our businesses reopening and to peoples' lives and livelihoods returning to more normal.

“We will of course continue to support businesses here in West Suffolk, not just through the Government’s Restart Grants, but by continuing to work with our partners to develop further initiatives to aid the economic recovery.

“In the meantime, we urge businesses who haven’t applied for grants to visit our website to check their eligibility and apply before it is too late.”

The scheme for hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses that were open in December but impacted by restrictions on socialising, also closes to applications on March 31.