EMERGENCY funding must be made available to businesses to ensure they are ready for Brexit, deal or no deal, firms are demanding.

Trade bodies and business groups are calling on the Chancellor to help them prepare to leave the EU by slashing crippling business rates and handing out vouchers in the upcoming Budget.

Insiders told The Sun that ministers were demanding firms prepare for events that might not even happen - and they would take a huge hit to get them ready.

Last week ministers released a slew of information telling businesses and public bodies how to prepare in case we don’t secure a deal with the bloc by March next year.

Customers could find going on holiday and ordering things online more expensive because Britain wouldn’t be a part of the EU’s payments process if there wasn’t a deal.

The notices on trade state that customs declarations would be needed and tariffs might have to be paid on imports and exports.

Buried in the small print it advises firms to consider hiring customs experts and other staff to advise on how to prepare.

It urges them to get ready for full on customs checks from day one of no-deal Brexit - if it happens - meaning companies who trade with the EU will have to completely overhaul their systems.

Ian Wright, CEO of the Food and Drink Federation, demanded ministers throw businesses a “lifeboat” and help them out.

“Ministers ought to start thinking about how they can best help businesses making preparations,” he told The Sun.

“They should be looking at tax concessions for those who have had to commit money for events which might not even materialise.

“The uncertainty is the result of the Government - they need to compensate business for that.”

Dr Adam Marshall, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “In this time of increased uncertainty for businesses, the government should be doing all it can to boost confidence and investment.

“With the added pressure currently facing firms, the next Budget would be the perfect opportunity to finally introduce real reform of the broken business rates system, which clobbers companies with high bills regardless of how well their operations are doing.

“This would provide many firms with some much-needed breathing space to focus on preparing for change after March 2019.”

He demanded that the Treasury “pull out all the stops” to keep investment flowing as Britain counts down to Brexit too.

Federation of Small Business National Chairman Mike Cherry added: “Technical notices that only experts can understand are fine up to a point – but if the Government really wants to get small businesses preparing for a no-deal scenario then we need to see some money on the table.

“Where is a small exporter working to tight margins supposed to suddenly find hundreds of pounds for a customs broker or new software plus the training costs it would bring?

“The Chancellor should use this autumn’s Budget to provide meaningful financial support for small business owners taking precious time out of their day to prepare for Brexit.”

Businesses have long been frustrated with the lack of information coming from ministers on how to prepare for Brexit. They are concerned information on no deal is coming too little to late to help them get ready.

Insiders are worried that with only a third of the no-deal Brexit papers released, the worst news is yet to come. Chancellor Philip Hammond has already pumped £3.7billion into Brexit preparations in case of no-deal - split between a number of departments.