COVID-19 – Resources for Businesses

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a rapidly changing situation with information changing on a daily basis.

In an effort to signpost information for our members and other businesses working in the tourism and hospitality industry, on this page you'll find helpful links to the most up to date information from the UK Government and key partners.

We anticipate that this information will be updated frequently so please check back regularly.

Last updated: 15:50, 11 August 2020

Jump to:

Support and advice from VisitBritain | Government support for Businesses | Bristol City Council | Local Information for Businesses | Useful Webinars | Public Health Information | Other Support and Advice | Get in touch 

Support and advice from VisitBritain / VisitEngland

Find specific information for tourism, hospitality and event businesses through VisitBritain and VisitEngland.

• Business advice hub - helping your tourism business to grow, with practical tips, legal obligations and local support
• Latest information on COVID-19 - latest tourism-related news and information for UK tourism businesses on the outbreak of COVID-19

We're Good To Go

“We’re Good To Go” is the official UK mark from VisitBritain to signal that a tourism and hospitality business has worked hard to follow Government and industry COVID-19 guidelines and has a process in place to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing.

• For more information and to apply, click here

Government Latest Updates

• Prime Minister's statement on 31 July - plans to reopen higher-risk settings from 1 August will be postponed for at least a fortnight
• New grants to boost recovery of smaller businesses - £20 million new funding to help smaller businesses recover from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic
• Eat Out to Help Out Scheme - get more help with registration, eligibility and how to offer the discount for the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme
• Latest measures for reopening - on 17 July, the Prime Minister, announced the latest measures for reopening and a framework to contain future outbreaks
• Face coverings mandatory in shops and public transport - information on when to wear a face covering and and how to make your own
• Coronavirus Travel Corridors - list of countries where you can travel to from England
• Guidance on holidays in areas with local coronavirus restrictions - what you should do if you're on holiday in an area with local coronavirus restrictions or live in a restricted area and are planning on taking a holiday outside the area.

Government Advice on Reopening

• Government guidance on reopening safely - guidance to help employers, employees and the self-employed understand how to work safely
• Maintaining records of staff, customers and visitors - information on collecting and maintaining records of staff, customers and visitors for NHS Test and Trace
• Business Risk Assessment - this tool is to help business operators develop a risk assessment tailored to the specific circumstances of their business
• Employee Risk Assessment - this tool is to help employees determine whether they should be going back to work or whether they should continue to work from home
• Coronavirus outbreak FAQs - frequently asked questions on what you can and can't do during this outbreak managing risks and risk assessment at work

Government Advice on Reporting Outbreaks

COVID-19 early outbreak management information has been created to make sure that people who run businesses or organisations:

• Know how to recognise and report an incident of COVID-19; and 
• Are aware of measures local health protection teams may advise in order to contain it.
• Full details can be found here

In addition, 'action cards' have been developed to cover a range of businesses and organisations to provide specific advice on the issues each type of organisation may face now lockdown restrictions have been eased.

• You can find more details on the action cards here

Government Business Support

Find out more about the full range of business support measures available to UK businesses and employees.

• Two new leadership programmes to help small business leaders grow their companies have been launched this week (3 August).
• Business Support Finder - this tool allows employers and the self employed to determine their eligibility for loans, tax relief and cash grants.
• Job Retention Scheme - businesses have the flexibility to bring furloughed employees back to work part time as part of the government’s plan to re-open the UK
• Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme - the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme will repay employers the Statutory Sick Pay paid to current or former employees
• Guidance on the reduced rate of VAT for hospitality businesses - the government have introduce a temporary 5% reduced rate of VAT for certain hospitality businesses

Bristol City Council

Find out information from local government, including grants and funds, volunteer opportunities and FAQs.

• Information for businesses - details of the package of measures announced by government to support businesses through this period of disruption
• Sign up to receive the council’s regular email - Bristol City Council has launched a regular email for businesses to help them through this uncertain time and beyond
• Business rate discount - from April 2020 to March 2021, for one year only there is a full discount which has been widened to include retail, hospitality and leisure venues

Local Information for Businesses

More local information for businesses including business information and advice, travel information and news.

• Bristol City Centre BID - COVID-19 information and news page for Bristol BID levy payers and stakeholders
• 24 Hour Bristol - The 24 Hour Bristol Commission is the voice of Bristol’s 24 hour economy and represents the night-time, high street and leisure industries
• West of England Growth Hub - hub to support small and medium-sized enterprises access Government support, as well as providing other help and guidance
• Business West - trading through coronavirus hub page
• Travelwest - latest information and advice on travel around Bristol
• Business in the Community - has launched the National Business Response Network to identify needs across the UK and match them to the right business support
• West of England Combined Authority (WECA) - extra support for workers affected by coronavirus emergency through its career coaching and support service

Links to other local authority information:

• South Gloucestershire Council
• North Somerset Council
• Bath and North East Somerset Council
• Somerset County Council

Useful Webinars

Information on how to join and watch useful webinars in Bristol including Bristol City Centre BID's series of free business webinars.

Find out more here about useful webinars.

Public Health Information

• NHS advice - find out how to protect yourself from the virus on the NHS website.
• Public Health England - coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance

Other Support and Advice

• National Lottery Heritage Fund - available to organisations across the full breadth of the heritage sector, including maritime heritage, museums and libraries

Get in touch

Our team are currently still working from home, but we're still here to support you in any way we can. Please continue to get in touch via email or social media - we'd love to hear from you. If you have any specific questions about your membership or have any other business concerns, please get in touch with Faye Batchelor on faye.batchelor@visitbristol.co.uk.

Please follow us on LinkedIn, where we will be sharing regular updates.