COVID-19 – Advice For Venues

MVT is offering sector support for Grassroots Music Venues (GMVs) to try and sustain them through the impacts of COVID-19. This takes three forms:

1. Surveys

Gathering data from Music Venues Alliance members about the potential impact of venue closure during 2, 4 & 6 week periods to best inform governments about the support which will be needed in the event of such situations arising
Weekly information gathering about what is already happening in MVA venues re. no-shows, cancellations and other impacts on the venue to be in a position to lobby for support

2. Information sharing

Bringing together the most current information about what you must do and what you can do to try and sustain your venue
Feeding into the European picture (via our membership of Live DMA) and keeping track of industry trends

3. Representation

Making sure that the needs of GMVs are raised as part of all music industry and cultural sector approaches for support from the governments of the UK
As the largest GMV membership body in Europe, feeding into European information collecting and sharing

Support Announced by UK Government

The following is the latest information available (as of 11am Wednesday 18 March) of the various measures that are being made available by Government to support Grassroots Music Venues (GMVs) in England during the COVID-19 crisis. In each case, this is the best information that Music Venue Trust has been able to acquire from government at this time. We are in contact with departments across government to ensure that as soon as additional advice on how to access this support becomes available we can deliver it to GMVs, together with instructions on how to qualify for it and access it.

We will continue to update each section with full guidance when we receive it from government.

Scottish Government have announced a package of measures to support businesses in 2020/21, please click here for info.

Welsh Government have announced a package of measures to support businesses in 2020/21, please click here for info.

Northern Ireland’s Government have announced a package of measures to support businesses in 2020/21, please click here for info.

Across all nations of the UK, Music Venue Trust will continue to demand that the entire sector, wherever located, needs to be able to access the full range of support being offered by UK Government.

Statutory Sick Pay

The government will support small and medium-sized businesses and employers to cope with the extra costs of paying COVID-19 related SSP by refunding eligible SSP costs. The eligibility criteria for the scheme are as follows:

this refund will be limited to two weeks per employee
employers with fewer than 250 employees will be eligible. The size of an employer will be determined by the number of people they employed as of 28 February 2020
employers will be able to reclaim expenditure for any employee who has claimed SSP (according to the new eligibility criteria) as a result of COVID-19
employers should maintain records of staff absences, but should not require employees to provide a GP fit note
the eligible period for the scheme will commence from the day on which the regulations extending SSP to self-isolators come into force
while existing systems are not designed to facilitate such employer refunds for SSP, the government will work with employers over the coming months to set up a repayment mechanism for employers as soon as possible

Music Venue Trust will confirm details of the SSP arrangements with government and deliver information on this to GMVs as soon as it is available.

Business Rates Reliefs

The government has announced that all Business Rates for all Grassroots Music Venues, regardless of size, will be zero rated for 2020-21.

Music Venue Trust has written to every Music Venues Alliance GMV in this category in England with details of how to ensure they receive this relief.

Scottish MVA members please click here for info.

Welsh MVA members please click here for info.

Small Business Grant Funding

Smaller GMVs: If your Rateable Value is lower than £15,000 then you are eligible to apply for the Small Business Grant Fund. This fund will provide a non-repayable grant of £10,000 to around 700,000 businesses currently eligible for SBRR or Rural Rate Relief, to help meet their ongoing business costs.

Small to Medium GMVs: If your Rateable Value is between £15,000 and £51,000 then you are eligible to apply for a grant (title to be announced). This fund will provide a non-repayable grant of £25,000 to help meet your ongoing business costs.

Music Venue Trust has asked for details of how to qualify and how to apply for these grant and will deliver guidance to GMVs on how to apply as soon as we have more information. The government has said it will release this information on Monday 23rd March

We will update this section with full guidance when we receive it from government.

Scottish Government have set-up an £80 million fund to provide grants of at least £3,000 to small businesses in sectors facing the worst economic impact of COVID-19, please click here for info.

Time to Pay

HMRC has set up a dedicated COVID-19 helpline to help those in need, and they may be able to agree a bespoke Time to Pay arrangement. Time to Pay was successfully used in response to flooding and the financial crisis, giving businesses a time-limited deferral period on HMRC liabilities owed and a pre-agreed time period to pay these back. These tailored arrangements will give a business the time it needs to pay HMRC to support their recovery while operating through any temporary financial challenges that occur. HMRC will also waive late payment penalties and interest where a business experiences administrative difficulties contacting HMRC or paying taxes due to COVID-19.

You can learn more about Time to Pay HERE

Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme

The government has increased the value of the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme, delivered by the British Business Bank, to support businesses to access bank lending and overdrafts. The government will provide lenders with a guarantee of 80% on each loan (subject to a per lender cap on claims) to give lenders further confidence in continuing to provide finance to SMEs. The government will not charge businesses or banks for this guarantee, and the Scheme will support loans of up to £5 million in value. Businesses can access the first 6 months of this finance interest free, as Government will cover the first 6 months of interest payments.

Music Venue Trust has asked for details of how to qualify and how to apply for this loan fund and will deliver guidance to GMVs on how to apply as soon as we have more information. The government has said it will release this information on Monday 23rd March

Mortgage Relief

The Government has announced that Mortgage lenders have agreed they will support customers that are experiencing issues with their finances as a result of Covid-19, including through payment holidays of up to 3 months.

Music Venue Trust has asked for details of how to qualify for this payment holiday and will deliver guidance to GMVs on how to talk to your Mortgage Lender as soon as we have more information. The government has said it will release this information on Monday 23rd March.

Insurance

The Government has announced that its advice to avoid pubs, clubs and theatres etc. is sufficient for businesses to claim on their insurance where they have appropriate business interruption cover for pandemics in place. Music Venue Trust advises that all GMVs should take the following steps:

Closely check your Insurance Policy for any Business Interruption Insurance
If your venue has such cover, you must check that this specific area of your policy describes Communicable Diseases and/or Notifiable Diseases and/or Pandemics as a specific peril for which you are covered
In the event you have any doubts about the cover you have available, please contact your insurance provider as a matter of urgency

Music Venue Trust is offering service to GMVs to check policies for any available cover. If you have followed the above steps and have any remaining doubts about the cover you have available, please send a copy of your policy document to insurancemvt@gmail.comJump to: Statutory Sick Pay | Business Rates Reliefs | Small Business Grant Funding | Time To Pay | Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme | Mortgage Relief | Scotland | Wales | Northern Ireland

Scotland

Scottish Government updated their package of measures on 18 March to support businesses in 2020/21:

a full year’s 100% non-domestic rates relief for retail, hospitality and tourism
£10,000 grants for small businesses in receipt of the Small Business Bonus Scheme or Rural Relief
£25,000 grants for hospitality, leisure and retail properties with a rateable value between £18,000 and £51,000

Wales

Welsh Government announced an updated package of support on 18 March for small businesses to help them during the coronavirus outbreak:

retail, leisure and hospitality businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or less will receive 100% business rate relief and pubs with a rateable value of between £51,000 and £100,000 will receive a £5,000 reduction on their bill
businesses with a rateable value of between £12,001 and £51,000 will be offered a grant of £25,000
businesses with a rateable value of £12,000 or less will be eligible for a £10,000 grant

Northern Ireland

The Northern Ireland Government announced a package of support on 18 March for small businesses:

an immediate grant of £10,000 will be provided to all small businesses who are eligible for the Small Business Rate Relief Scheme (all businesses with a NAV up to £15,000)
an immediate grant of £25,000 will be provided to companies in the retail, tourism and hospitality sectors with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000
The Executive has already committed to providing a three month rates holiday to ALL businesses from April to June

COVID-19 – ADVICE FOR VENUES