Last week, Derby City Council launched its Covid Additional Relief Fund (CARF) scheme. This scheme is for businesses that have been impacted by Covid but cannot access other business rates relief linked to the pandemic. To be eligible, your business must occupy premises with a rateable value and have had a business rates bill to pay on 1 April 2021.
Further eligibility criteria include:
- The business must not have been in receipt of Extended Retail Discount (covering Retail, Hospitality and Leisure), the Nursery Discount or the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme for the 2021/22 financial year
- The property must have been occupied unless closed temporarily due to the government’s advice on Covid-1,
- The business must be able to demonstrate they have been adversely affected by the pandemic and have been unable to adequately adapt to that impact (evidence may be requested to support this)
- The business must not have reached the subsidy allowance limit
- The Business Rates payer must not be Derby City Council or one of its preceptors.
More information and full eligibility criteria are available on the Derby City Council website.
Applications are made through your “myaccount” and must be made by 11 March. If successful, the rate relief will be applied to your 2021/22 account.
Derby City Council are keen to encourage eligible business to apply for the support and stress that CARF support is not a grant, but a temporary reduction in business rates.