Hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses impacted by the Omicron variant of Covid-19 have just under a month to apply for one-off grants of up to £6,000.

The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme - which runs until February 21 - is designed to support businesses offering in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premises, in the hospitality, leisure and accommodation sectors.

With funding having been made available given the likelihood that some businesses have struggled due to the rise of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 across the district, East Suffolk Council and local authorities across the country have been given responsibility to deliver the one-off lump sum funding to eligible businesses.

Craig Rivett, East Suffolk's cabinet member for economic development, said: “This funding offers another potential lifeline for many local businesses affected by the rise in the Omicron variant.

"I would encourage anyone whose business is eligible, and who hasn't already done so, to apply for the funding they need.”

Businesses will need to submit an application for the grant and will need an eligible Business Rates account number to apply.

For full details of eligibility and the application form visit the East Suffolk Council website via the Covid-19 business grants support page.

All enquiries regarding this scheme should be directed via email to the dedicated team covid19businessgrants@eastsuffolk.gov.uk

For those businesses not eligible for this scheme, there will be an Additional Restriction Grant (ARG) scheme published soon, to target help to other specific areas of need across the district.

Details of the scheme will also be published in the coming weeks.

The grants are part of a £1billion fund announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on December 21 as part of a government support package, which also included the reintroduction of the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme and additional funding through the Culture Recovery Fund.

The scheme will close for applications on February 21 with all final payments being disbursed to recipients by March 31.