Some of our team are working remotely but we are in daily contact with businesses, finding out what you need and what support you require most.

We are also communicating directly with the government, on a local, regional and national level. This is helping to ensure business gets exactly what it needs. Let us know your priorities and pressures so that we can amplify this message and ensure Government targets support where it is most needed.

In this unprecedented time it’s important that we work together to support businesses, jobs and livelihoods locally.

Our Street Rangers are still active within the city and are a resource available for our businesses to use. If you would like more information on this, or have something you require Street Ranger assistance with, please contact Mark Sumner on 07825 078 704.

Our Marketing team continue to work to disseminate messages from the business community, particularly the consumer-facing businesses, and to spread the word about amended opening times, changes to service, offers and any other information. If you have messages you need to get out via our channels please contact Ben Whitfield via email, ben.whitfield@newcastlene1ltd.com.

Our focus is on supporting our businesses however we can, and we expect this to change shape regularly in the coming days and weeks. If you have ideas as to how we could help you, or resources that you would find beneficial please let us know.

We are aware that there is a pressing need to make it easier to get finance to business much more quickly and help businesses, from different sectors, adjust and manage their day to day, week to week, operations in a new way. This is an uncertain and unsettling time for many businesses. Please rest assured that we are here to help.

We ask that you keep us up to date on any concerns and also any changes by contacting us on a regular basis on info@newcastlene1ltd.com. The better informed we are, the more we are able to speak directly to government and ensure the right help comes to the correct areas, exactly when it’s needed.

All things must pass. This great city will pull together during these challenging times and we will come though this stronger if we all pull together.

Reopening Newcastle

NE1 have created a document outlining Government guidance, NE1's activities, and business support, to help businesses navigate the reopening process. You can read the document here - Reopening Newcastle 18.05.20.pdf

You can also download a copy of the document ('Reopening Newcastle') here.

Webinars

NE1 have hosted webinars with guest speakers to provide support and advice to businesses, you can watch both of them on our Youtube channel.

Friday 17th April - NE1's Covid-19 webinar series - 1. Furlough for Employers with Robert Gibson, Senior Partner at Samuel Phillips - Watch 

Friday 24th April - NE1's Covid-19 webinar series - 2. Covid Finance for Business with John Healey, Corporate Finance Partner, UNW - Watch 

Friday 22nd May - NE1's Covid-19 webinar series - 3. Management of Public Space during Covid-19 - Watch

Thursday 4th June - NE1's Covid-19 webinar series - 4. Northumberland Street Covid-19 Access Arrangements - Watch

Wednesday 24th June - NE1's Covid-19 webinar series - 5. Post Covid-19 Licensed Trade Recovery - Watch

General Advice

Government Response: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

NHS advice: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Business support

COVID-19 toolkit for business: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/covid-19-support-for-businesses

Newcastle City Council support for business: https://www.newcastle.gov.uk/services/public-health-wellbeing-and-leisure/public-health-services/coronavirus-covid-19/support-business-coronavirus

The Chancellor has set out a package of measures to support businesses through disruption caused by COVID-19.

This includes:

• a Statutory Sick Pay relief package for SMEs
• a 12-month Business Rates holiday for all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England – more details as to whether your business qualifies can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-rates-retail-discount-guidance
• small-business grant funding of £10,000 for all businesses in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief
• grant funding of £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with property with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000
• the Coronavirus Bounce Back Loan scheme, offering loans of up to £50,000, 100% guaranteed by the Government, with no fees or interest for the first 12 months - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-a-coronavirus-bounce-back-loan
• the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme offering loans of up to £5 million for SMEs through the British Business Bank
• a new lending facility from the Bank of England to help support liquidity among larger firms, helping them bridge coronavirus disruption to their cash flows through loans
• the HMRC Time To Pay Scheme
• reassurance that businesses that have insurance for both pandemics and government-ordered closure should be covered
• a relaxation of planning rules so pubs and restaurants can operate as hot food takeaways during the coronavirus outbreak.
• Coronavirus job retention scheme - Find out if you’re eligible and how much you can claim to cover wages for employees on temporary leave (“furlough”) due to coronavirus (COVID-19) - more information can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

For more information about these measures, including eligibility requirements, please visit the COVID-19: support for businesses page on the Government website.

Guidance for staff

The Government’s national advice for staff, including on working from home and sick pay, can be found on its COVID-19: guidance for employees page. 

Please see below full details of the additional support for businesses and workers, which can be found at the link below:

Covid-19: Support for businesses: http://bit.ly/2IUD02v

In addition, new measures around social distancing have been announced - the link below provides further guidance on this:

Guidance for businesses and other venues on social distancing measures: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/social-distancing-in-the-workplace-during-coronavirus-covid-19-sector-guidance