help for your business

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Businesses and Employers Bulletin - 28 April 2020

This bulletin is issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and provides the latest information for employers and businesses on coronavirus (COVID-19). All coronavirus business support information can be found at gov.uk/business-support


 

Webinar: Financial support for small businesses during coronavirus (COVID-19)

Register to join a free webinar hosted by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy at 11am on Monday 4 May to find out how small business can access the coronavirus business support measures that have been made available to UK businesses.

The webinar will cover:

  • Eligibility for small business grants
  • Applying for a loan
  • Tax
  • Claiming for wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

You will have the opportunity to ask questions during the webinar.

New free online learning platform to boost workplace skills

A new online learning platform to help boost the nation’s skills while people are staying at home, has been launched today by Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.

Free courses are available through The Skills Toolkit. The new platform gives people access to free, high-quality digital and numeracy courses to help build up their skills, progress in work and boost their job prospects.

These are the skills which are highly valued by employers and sought after in a wide range of jobs. With more people expected to be working and studying remotely in the coming months, the platform offers a great opportunity to learn new skills to help to get ahead online and gain the knowledge we’ll all need for the future. The platform also offers employees who have been furloughed an opportunity to keep up their skills development while they are at home.

Courses on offer cover a range of levels, from everyday maths and tools for using email and social media more effectively at work to more advanced training. Individuals will be able to access courses helping them to create great online content developed by the University of Leeds and the Institute of Coding, to understand the Fundamentals of Digital Marketing from Google Digital Garage and to learn how to code for data analysis from the Open University. All courses are online and flexible, so people can work through them at their own pace. Find out more information here.

 

New Updates and Guidance

New

Chancellor’s statement to Parliament and Bounce Back Loans Scheme

Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s 27 April update to the House of Commons on the Government’s economic response to Coronavirus, including the announcement of the new Bounce Back Loans scheme. The Bounce Back Loan scheme will launch on 4 May 2020. More information about the scheme will be published shortly.

How to work safely in domiciliary care

New guidance has been published for those working in domiciliary care providing information on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Extra month to claim for farm payments

Farmers and land managers now have until 15 June to apply for BPS payments and to claim funding for their environmental and woodland work under other schemes. Find out more here.

Ask a question at a coronavirus press conference

Find out how you can ask the government a question at the daily coronavirus press conference here.

Slides and datasets to accompany coronavirus press conference: 27 April 2020

 

Updates

Fraud and Cyber Crime 

Measures announced over recent weeks to deal with coronavirus have seen our day-to-day life drastically changed – we are spending more time at home and online. Unfortunately, criminals will use every opportunity they can to scam innocent people and their businesses. Advice and guidance on how to protect yourself and your business from fraud and cyber crime has been updated.

Coronavirus grant funding: local authority payments to small and medium businesses

Local authorities have received and distributed funding to support small and medium businesses in England during coronavirus. Updated with figures for payments to businesses as of 27 April 2020.


Requests for Business Intelligence and Assistance

Offer coronavirus support

Tell us how your business might be able to help with the response to coronavirus by using our online service.


Share the impact coronavirus is having on your organisation 

Let us know how the outbreak is impacting your business.  Please send your intelligence to intel@beis.gov.uk. Commercially sensitive information will be treated accordingly.  Please note that this inbox is only for receiving intelligence and does not provide business advice.  

 

Other useful links

Some aspects of business support are devolved. Specific information for businesses and employers in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales is available. In England, Growth Hubs can advise on local and UK Government business support.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy 

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