LONDON, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Britain has launched a 10 million-pound (13.5 million U.S. dollars) three-year hospitality grant scheme to support qualified firms in the sector, a statement from the government's official website showed Wednesday.
Recognizing the vital role hospitality plays in supporting local economies and communities across the country, the grant scheme is aimed at boosting the businesses of village pubs, family-run restaurants and neighborhood cafes, said the statement.
The fund will be invested into projects that help get new hospitality ventures off the ground, bring vacant premises back into use, or support training programmes that help people develop the skills, confidence and work ethic to open doors to future careers, it said.
The scheme comes as part of the government's commitment to promoting economic growth across the country and enabling more communities to benefit from it.
It follows on from the announcement in late July that pubs, clubs and live music venues are set to receive a 20-percent cut to their business rates bills from April 2027, saving a typical pub around 1,000 pounds (1,350 dollars) next year. ■