Diageo announced a new global program to support pubs and bars to welcome customers back and recover following the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Raising the Bar’ will be a two-year program available from July 2020.

It will provide USD 100 million to support the recovery of major hospitality centers, including: New York, London, Edinburgh, Dublin, Belfast, Mexico City, São Paulo, Shanghai, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Kampala, Sydney and beyond. This USD 100M program includes the USD 20M Community Fund announced in the United States on 12 June 2020.

Diageo designed the ‘Raising the Bar’ program following a global survey of bar owners to identify what they need to reopen after lockdown. Their top priorities include hygiene measures, digital support and practical equipment to transform how their outlets will work.

The program will provide targeted support to help pay for the physical equipment needed for outlets to re-open. For example, in the UK, Diageo will provide initial funding for: ‘hygiene kits’ with high-quality permanent sanitiser dispense units, medical grade hand sanitiser and a range of personal protection equipment (such as masks and gloves); help to pubs and bars to establish partnerships with online reservations and cashless systems; mobile bars and outdoor equipment.

From 24 June 2020, bar owners will be able to register their interest for the ‘Raising the Bar’ program via www.diageobaracademy.com globally. Bar owners will receive regular updates on best practice training and resources and be able to participate in global surveys to share insights, as they build back their businesses.

To be eligible to participate, outlets must be registered as a legal entity (for tax purposes) or equivalent in each jurisdiction. They must have been operating for a minimum period of 12 months before introduction of any national or local lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19, affecting its ability to operate in a business as usual manner. They also must have a beer and/or spirits licence or equivalent, and must demonstrate at least one way in which they are or plan to ‘Raise the Bar’ in their community, including: promoting inclusion and diversity and job-creation in disadvantaged communities; promoting positive drinking and tackling harm or anti-social behavior; focusing on sustainability or community support; and providing skills training, especially those from disadvantaged groups.

The UN’s International Labour Organization has forecast that 436 million enterprises worldwide face serious disruption and one in six young people will be unemployed due to COVID-19. The hospitality sector will be one of the hardest hit, as pubs, bars, clubs and restaurants provide hundreds of millions of jobs for many full and part-time workers.

The impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality sector has been widespread, with the closure of venues the world over. As governments begin to ease lockdown measures, the public want to come together again to connect with their community and socialise safely. By providing access to free digital support, technology, training and equipment, Diageo aims to help bars open their doors again.