Welcome to the latest edition of our South and Vale Business Support newsletter!

Are you reopening your business?

Shops in England selling non-essential goods are be able to reopen from today.

The government has set out specific guidance for shops and branches. The guide contains several sections, highlighting the importance of:
  • thinking about risk
  • who should go to work
  • social distancing at work
  • managing your customers, visitors and contractors
  • cleaning the workplace
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and face coverings
  • workforce management
  • inbound and outbound goods
Read the guidance and discover more ways to open your business safely on our website.
Enterprise Nation Small Business Grant Scheme opens in Oxfordshire

Salesforce is partnering with Enterprise Nation to offer eligible small businesses the opportunity to receive a £5,000 grant to help them through the COVID-19 outbreak.

To be eligible to apply, companies must:
  • Be registered at Companies House
  • Been established for at least 12 months
  • Have not received any other cash grant during 2020 in relation to COVID-19 from any Government
  • Be based in the UK with a British bank account
  • Have between 2 to 50 employees
  • Meet all other eligibility requirements as stated in the grant programme terms here.

Applications are open until 21 June. Find out how to apply here.
The Lions Barber Collective – could you help?


The COVID-19 pandemic has put a huge strain on all of our local barbers. With no indication of when these businesses will be allowed to open again, The Lions Barber Collective are calling for them to get involved with something  a little different.

The Lions Barber Collective project is a worldwide acclaimed approach to raising awareness of mental well-being and suicide prevention for men, by encouraging barbers to create a safe place to open up and offload.

The project will deliver across Oxfordshire a series of funded Barber Shop training to local barbers and hairdressers to upskill them to recognise, ask, listen and help their clients with mental wellbeing.

Find out how you can get involved.

Find out more by reading the Business and Innovation Strategy Action Plans 
on our SVBS website.

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