Businesses and some charities in Allerdale that have not been able to benefit from any of the previous coronavirus financial schemes, may now be eligible for a new grant.

Allerdale Borough Council’s discretionary grant scheme has opened for a second round, having already helped over 148 local businesses with a total of £830,000 paid out in recent weeks.

Cash grants of up to £25,000 are now available to eligible businesses, with other amounts paid out on a sliding scale dependent on the number of employees, the property costs or the amount of income lost.

The first round of the scheme focused on those sectors the council had been asked to prioritise by the Government.

However, the council has reviewed the criteria of the scheme for the second round and says it will now be able to help local businesses and charities that have been hit financially by the coronavirus outbreak and were not eligible before.

The council is prioritising small and micro businesses, as defined in the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 and the Companies Act 2006, that can demonstrate at least a 25 per cent fall in trading income, when comparing their income in April 2019 with April this year.

The scheme will be open for four weeks, ending at 5pm on August 10. Completed applications will be considered on a first-come first-served basis.

Eligible organisations are being asked to submit their applications as soon as possible.

Full details of the scheme and how to apply can be found on the council’s website.