In March 2021, the government announced the provision of £1.5 billion of additional support to businesses that had not already received business rates relief. The COVID-19 Additional Relief Fund (CARF) was designed to support businesses affected by the pandemic but that were ineligible for existing business rates support. The Fund was awarded via local authorities, taking into account the economic impact COVID-19 on specific sectors. Local authorities were best placed to design and deliver effective schemes due to their knowledge of their local economies and those businesses most impacted by COVID-19. Final data for CARF is not yet available, however voluntary data returns from local authorities in September 2022 show that nearly £1.2 billion (80%) of funding had been allocated by local authorities at that time, supporting over 230,000 businesses across the country. Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-additional-relief-fund-distribution-data.