Financial support through COVID-19
Below you will find information and links to support your business through the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Support for your business
The following support is available to your business if it is adversely affected by the coronavirus outbreak:
Jersey Business support
If your business is being affected by COVID-19 and you need help negotiating with your landlord then please complete the Business Rent advice application form below.
This advice can cover issues such as how to demonstrate a change of circumstances, template letters, how to negotiate new arrangements etc.
The Government of Jersey has issued new guidance to tenants and landlords for use during the COVID-19 crisis and our FAQ’s will help you understand how they apply to you.
The templates below have been developed as part of the guidance to help you talk constructively and proactively with your landlord:
For the commercial tenant to use:
Notification of tenants financial hardship
Notification of tenants inability to comply with lease obligation
For the commercial landlord to use:
Notification of landlords inability to comply with lease obligations
For both tenant and landlord to confirm the terms of their Voluntary Arrangement:
Additional guidance relating to rent and other payments for landlords and tenants during COVID-19 crisis.
You might find BCR Law’s tenant briefing a useful guide for talking to your landlord at this difficult time.
Podcast
This podcast features our Head of Business Advisory Team, Nick Steel. Nick talks about the support available to commercial landlords and tenants for negotiating new terms on their property and rentals.
If you need to speak to an HR specialist about a specific issue you are having please complete the HR 1:1 support application form. We promise we’ll then be in touch as quickly as we possibly can to get you the advice you need.
You might also find our HR Toolkit for Small Business a useful guide for talking to your staff at this difficult time.
If you need help with forecasting your cash over the next few weeks and months, and you are not receiving support from an accountant or other professional adviser, please complete this financial planning support application form below.
By developing realistic cash projections you will be able to assess whether your business can continue to trade fully or with reduced operations, close down temporarily or cease trading altogether. You can also use this exercise to think about how your business might trade and the practicalities of getting back on your feet once the restrictions are lifted.
You can start this process yourself. Have a look at the Steps to manage your business’s short term cash flow in the Cash flow section of the Resource Hub below
Download the Business Monthly Cash flow spreadsheet
Get access to EY’s free Finance Navigator for three months. This should be used in conjunction with with our Business Monthly Cash flow spreadsheet
Download our Coronavirus Checklist for business which explains the steps you should be taking in your business.
Government of Jersey support
Government’s support mechanisms
The Government has a number of support mechanisms in place. You can find details on the in the sections below.
The primary aim of this scheme is to enable businesses in Jersey to make productivity improvements that would not be achieved without support.
To apply for grant support through the Productivity Support Scheme, the business should have already identified a productivity improvement project and have a detailed and fully costed project delivery plan.
The Government of Jersey’s Fixed Costs Support Scheme (FCSS) makes a financial contribution towards a business’ fixed costs where they have been impacted by Covid-19 related public health measures. The scheme is designed to compensate a business for the impact of either not being able to open or being restricted in its ability to trade because of the restrictions.
The scheme will cover costs from January 2021 until April 2021 and will be kept under review.
The scheme will support all eligible businesses when they have been forced to close. It will continue to support some businesses once they reopen but continue to be affected by public health restrictions.
As a direct consequence of the Covid-19 restrictions many events and attractions businesses have been prevented from trading and/or have seen a dramatic fall in visitor numbers. The aim, therefore, of the Events & Attractions Subsidy Scheme is to support the underlying costs of qualifying businesses to enable them to continue to trade in 2021.
The scheme will provide support for October 2020 up to and including April 2021.
The application can be made to Government from Tuesday 5th January 2021.
Business eligibility for the scheme
Details of the specific business categories eligible for this support are in the section below.
Scheme qualifying criteria
An application must satisfy that it:
- Has suffered a detriment to turnover of over 50% due to public health restrictions
- Has sought to borrow to support it through its financial difficulties, either through commercial options or the Business Disruption Loan Guarantee Scheme
- Is registered for GST and has a minimum turnover of £300,000
- Has undertaken a Jersey Business Health Check
Support provided by the scheme
The subsidy payable is the amount needed to break even in the month of the claim or 80% of designated fixed costs whichever is lower.
Fixed costs are those incurred by the business on an accruals basis in the month of the claim. The subsidy will be paid on a monthly basis in arrears.
It is vital that Jersey enters the new economic environment post-Covid-19 with a visitor accommodation offering which remains attractive to business and leisure visitors as a key foundation of the Island’s visitor economy. As a result, the Visitor Accommodation Subsidy Scheme (the Scheme) is focused on preserving the quality and diversity of bed-stock
Business eligibility for the scheme
To qualify for this scheme a business must be a Registered Tourist Accommodation Provider, meaning they are registered for the purpose of the Tourism (Jersey) Law 1948 as at 1 October 2020.
Scheme qualifying criteria
Applicants must show a 50% detriment comparing the total turnover in the last 12 months of operation (up to and including the month of claim) to the total 2019 turnover.
Support provided by the Scheme
The scheme will provide support of up to 80% of designated fixed costs paid on a monthly basis in arrears.
The aim of the payroll co-funding scheme is to help people keep their jobs who would otherwise be made unemployed due to COVID-19 and the restrictions now in place. This also helps businesses to retain their employees and mean that they can resume normal business activity as soon as possible.
The scheme is available to eligible businesses where the business has experienced or is highly likely to experience significant detriment due to restrictions put in place to manage the spread of COVID-19.
You will receive the grant after you have paid the salary/wages of you and your staff.
For information on the payroll co-funding scheme contact: [email protected]
The Government has put in place measures to help with challenges during this Coronavirus pandemic. Many businesses and particularly those operating in critically affected sectors such as hospitality, agriculture and fishing are experiencing cash flow and trading difficulties.
During these challenging times, Revenue Jersey wants to reassure taxpayers experiencing temporary issues that are creating worry and anxiety. We are committed to working with taxpayers to provide guidance and help to resolve any such difficulties.
Affected businesses are being encourage to take the following practical steps.
Businesses who receive payments from the co-funded payroll schemes or any of the other financial support schemes, must account for the value of the grants they receive as income in their accounts. Further guidance on the taxation of coronavirus support is is available here:
For businesses and sole-traders, the Government of Jersey introduced a series of measures to mitigate the impact of coronavirus on the Island economy, including:
- deferring the payment of Social Security contributions;
- deferring the payment of GST by GST-Registered Businesses; and
- where the Government is a landlord to a local business (directly or through a Government-owned company) to consider payment deferrals.
This fact sheet explains how to access this support
The Government of Jersey will consider rental payment deferrals where it is a landlord to a local business, directly or through a Government-owned company. Requests for rental deferment should be made directly to your landlord or property contact and all requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
If you have an employee who has been asked to isolate by Public Health because you are at risk of transmitting Coronavirus they may be able to claim the Isolation benefit
You can direct your employees to the Gov.je website for full information on the scheme.
**THIS INITIATIVE FINISHED ON 31ST OCTOBER 2020 BUT MAY BE REINTRODUCED AT A LATER DATE**
The £100 Spend Local Cards are being distributed to every adult and child in Jersey in the second week of September. The cards, in the form of a pre-paid Mastercard, will allow Islanders to spend at their favourite businesses across the island and will be valid until the 31st October 2020.
Detailed guidance on how the card will work is available on the Government’s website, with the key details below:
Who will get the card?
Anyone who was resident in Jersey and registered with Customer and Local Services on or before 30 June 2020 will be eligible to receive the £100 Spend Local Card.
Cards for adults and children will be distributed by Jersey Post during the second week of September 2020. They will be sent to the residential address held by Customer and Local Services (formally Social Security).
How will the card be used?
Instructions will be included in a letter with the card and the user will need to follow simple instructions in order to activate their card and retrieve the PIN number. The card can then be used like a bank card by either inserting it into a card reader and entering the PIN, using the contactless functionality or by giving the card details over the phone.
The card will be available to use in multiple locations on island and in any amount, up to the balance of the card. It can also be used to purchase higher value goods or services with the individual paying the difference with a different card or cash.
The card will be valid until the balance runs out or until the deadline of Saturday 31 October, when any remaining balance will be removed.
Where can the card be used?
The card can be used with any local business in Jersey that accepts Mastercard payments face-to-face or over the phone, apart from:
- outside of Jersey
- online
- gambling and betting establishments
- businesses who do not accept Mastercard payments
- Government of Jersey departments, with the exception of Government run sport centres and education facilities
What does my business need to do to participate in the scheme?
As long as your business has the facilities to accept Mastercard payments you don’t need to do anything. However, you may wish to consider marketing or special offers to promote your business and encourage Islanders to spend their £100 with you.
The posters below can be printed out and put on display in your business to raise awareness to your customers that you are accepting the Spend Local card and to brief your staff:
Accepted here Spend Local card promotional image for social media
Support us Spend Local card promotional image for social media
Bank support
Speak to your own bank as soon as possible about accessing credit facilities and any other options that you might have.
**THIS SCHEME HAS ENDED**
The aim of the Business Disruption Loan Guarantee Scheme is to maintain cash flow so that people can remain in employment and businesses do not have to close permanently. To help you plan download the Business Monthly Cash flow spreadsheet now.
The banks, working together and with the Government of Jersey have structured a disruption loan guarantee scheme which will give you access to Government backed loans. You will access this scheme directly through the banks and the availability and structure of the loan will depend on your business’s individual circumstances.
Key features of the scheme can be found here.
Additional resource
You can access additional guides and factsheets on cashflow, HR, insurance, wellbeing, business rent & leases, security and more in our Resource Hub.