Help for businesses
Register your business
Register your business details with our Business Support Team and allow us to help you during the pandemic and beyond.
Reopening of licensed premises
- Further advice and clarification for reopening licensed premises (updated 10 July 2020) (PDF)
- Advice for premises licence holders (PDF)
Social distancing posters
We've produced some social distancing posters that you can print off and use in your business premises.
Financial support
Discretionary grants fund
The current round of funding closed on 30 June.
Other business support grants
Most businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, along with those receiving Small Business Rate Relief or Rural Rate Relief, can apply for the following:
- Eligible properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or less will receive a £10,000 grant
- Eligible properties with a rateable value of more than £15,000 and up to £51,000 will receive a £25,000 grant
To be eligible for a grant, companies and traders must have been liable for business rates on 11 March 2020.
- Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors: apply for a grant at Lancaster.gov.uk/rhl-grant
- Businesses registered for Small Business Rate Relief, or Rural Rate Relief: apply for a grant at Lancaster.gov.uk/sbrrgrant
Business support grant policy
Health and safety support
A video overview of health and safety for your business, whether you are still operating, planning to re-open, or not yet permitted to operate:
Health and Safety for Businesses
Food business support
Our Food Safety Forum provides free advice, guidance, videos and frequently asked questions to help you run your food business safely. If you are operating a takeaway or delivery food service and have any questions about hygiene, allergens, cleaning and social distancing, the Food Safety Forum can answer them.
Private rented accomodation
See our guidance for landlords (PDF) and guidance for tenants (PDF) of shared accommodation.
General business support
The government has published guidance on working safely during Coronavirus. The guidance covers the following business areas:
- Construction and other outdoor work
- Factories, plants and warehouses
- Labs and research facilities
- Offices and contact centres
- Working in other people's homes
- Restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services
- Shops and branches
- Vehicles
Coronavirus business recovery toolkit
To help your business recover from the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic use our Coronavirus business recovery toolkit (PDF)
Managing the risk to staff, customers and other visitors
When planning to reopen your business, please consider the risks to your staff and customers.Use our Coronavirus risk assessment template (DOCX) as a guide to reopening safely.
Queue management and social distancing
Advice on the management of external queues with social distancing (PDF)
Legionnaires’ disease risk
When buildings reopen after lockdown, it is essential that water systems are not put back into use without considering the risks of Legionnaires’ disease.
- For advice please see Legionella information for businesses (PDF)
Business support team
Our dedicated Business Support Team are here to offer advice and support to business owners, including a Coronavirus Business Recovery Toolkit (PDF).
Contact the business support team by email at econdev@lancaster.gov.uk
Lancaster City Council has developed a package of measures so business owners have the confidence to reopen in a manner that is safe not only for customers, but for their staff and themselves. Some of this work has been funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
