£1m+ support for Luton businesses hit by pandemic

A grant of more than £1-million has been allocated to Luton Council from the government.

The amount - part of the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) funding, now in its fourth round - is to help those businesses most affected by the pandemic. It will be split between another round of direct funding and a business support programme.

This programme includes a Business Start Up scheme, with one section aimed specifically at Black, Asian and minority ethnic businesses.

Another will help high street businesses diversify through workshops covering commercial aspects such as e-commerce and social media.

The University of Bedfordshire will lead on the Luton Productivity Programme, an innovative scheme to upskill staff.

Council spokesperson Nicola Monk said: "Since the start of the pandemic, the council has awarded impacted businesses more than 10,000 government grants totalling almost £55 million.

"By deciding to use some of the additional ARG funding for specific programmes, we are able to really target support to a range of businesses in Luton."

She added: "We are using a proportion of the funding to assist the business community in recovery, resilience, growth and ultimately prosperity."

A virtual event about the schemes on offer will be on the council website on November 3 from 1pm - 3pm.

> To register your interest in a grant email [email protected]