- How we can help
- Business newsletter
- Enterprise grants
- Our business advisors
- UKSPF business support offers
- Directory of support
There are always questions that need to be asked, regardless of how long your company has been operating. Whether you are looking to start a business, already established or thinking of moving into the area, our free business support service is here to help.
How we can help
- Business start-up and growth support
- Connect to employment, skills and training services
- Business events
- Access to council services and products
- Business grants
- Commercial property and land search
- Financial assistance
- Access to wider business networks.
If you are looking for assistance please make an appointment with our Business Advisors by calling 01909 533 533 or emailing economic.development@bassetlaw.gov.uk.
We will work with you to make the most of your company, and if we are unable to help, we will direct you to another organisation in our network that can.
Business newsletter
The Council sends out a monthly Business E-newsletter that includes opportunities, events and information for businesses. We recommend businesses and those interested in starting a business sign up to this to get regular updates about events and support in the area.
Enterprise grants
Do you need help with marketing your business, or help to purchase equipment for your business? Our Enterprise Grant may be able to help.
The Enterprise Grant scheme has been operating in the District for many years and offers a grant for pre-starts and start-up businesses who have been trading for less than 36 months and based in the district.
You could get:
- A grant up to £2000
- Discretionary one off grants of £500
Businesses must support their application with a sound business plan and accurate financial projections. All grants are up to 50% of project total with the above restrictions. The process for applying is:
- Application form with detail of what is being applied for.
- This must be accompanied by a business plan, showing what the business is about, how it will sell to its customers, who its customers are and the individuals’ qualifications to run that particular business.
- The application must also have accompanying financial forecasts detailing income projections, line-by-line analysis of expenditure.
Our business advisors provide support for the application process and can assist candidates who are unsure of certain business-related topics. Where appropriate further business guidance and training is given through workshops and seminars or face to face with other businesses and advisors.
Our business advisors can assist applicants unaccustomed to considering business-related issues and support the application process. When necessary, additional business training and guidance is provided in-person with other companies and advisors or through workshops and seminars.
A small grants panel make the decisions on grant applications.
For further information, please contact Fiona Humpage, Enterprise Support Manager, fiona.humpage@bassetlaw.gov.uk
If you want to find out about our successful applicants, visit our dedicated Enterprise Grants page.
Our Business Advisors
Fiona Humpage
Fiona is passionate about helping business to thrive. With 25+ years of experience, Fiona has a proven track record of guiding and advising pre-starts, start-ups and established businesses of any shape and size toward sustainable growth. Fiona loves to empower businesses to reach their full potential and help them seize opportunities to ensure a business’s success.
Fiona believes that it all starts with a conversation, looking at your vision for your business and seeing what opportunities may be out there for new ventures or the next stage of growing a business.
Dawn Fear
Dawn, who works for Nottinghamshire County Council, has joined Bassetlaw District Council and is providing support to businesses in the district one day a week, until March 2025. She will be working alongside our very own Business Support Advisor, Fiona Humpage and supporting mainly the business located on industrial estates and in rural locations.
Dawn is an experienced business advisor with well-developed, comprehensive banking knowledge. She offers a client centred approach to provide you with honest, no-nonsense, kind and constructive support. By asking challenging questions with her critical friend approach, she encourages business owners to take the steps needed to develop and grow their business.
Dawn is a practical generalist, who has a wealth of experience supporting both start-ups and established businesses to develop and grow. She can relate business theory to the day-to-day running of your business and with her sound banking and financial background, she has the expertise to assist business owners in understanding their business planning and financial needs.
If you wish to book a 1-2-1 with Dawn or Fiona, please contact economic.development@bassetlaw.gov.uk and fill in the subject line with Business Support.
UKSPF: Business Support Programme
Supporting local businesses
The supporting local business investment priority enables the Council to fund interventions that support local businesses to thrive, innovate and grow. Through the E23 Investment Priority – Support Local Businesses we have the following open to businesses in the Bassetlaw area.
General Business Support & Advice
Our Business Advisors are on hand to provide support for your business at every stage whether it’s pre-start and putting your idea into place or looking to expand and grow. 1:1 sessions are available to discuss as well as regular business surgeries. It all starts with a conversation so contact us at economic.development@bassetlaw.gov.uk.
Business Support Surgeries
Get support for your business at every stage by registering for one of our 1:1 business advice sessions. Our business experts can assist you whether you are a pre-start and putting your ideas into action or looking to expand. Sessions will be advertised on this website and on social media when announced.
Start-up provision
Start-up provision is being provided by NBV on our behalf. Upcoming workshops are as follows:
Tuesday 21st January, 10am - 4pm - Business Planning at Middletons Yard, Worksop
Thursday 23rd January, 10am - 4pm - Social Media at Retford Enterprise, Retford
Tuesday 25th February, 10am - 4pm - Marketing Essentials at Middletons Yard, Worksop
Please contact Fiona Humpage, Business Advisor to book your space. Email fiona.humpage@bassetlaw.gov.uk
Introducing the Bassetlaw Accelerator
Bassetlaw Accelerator is a brand-new business support project designed to help businesses at all stages of development across Bassetlaw to start, sustain, grow and innovate. Businesses in the area will be given support to focus on improving sustainability and innovation. Supplementary support will also be provided to high street and start-up businesses across the Bassetlaw area.
The project which runs until 31 March 2025 is led by the East Midlands Chamber and is funded by the Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
What support can I access?
Working with an experienced business advisor, eligible businesses can access a range of support including:
- 1-2-1 advice, mentoring and diagnostic support
- Training and action planning workshops
- Growth vouchers
- Help to Grow - Management course
- Grant funding
- Networking and peer support
- Energy saving and improvement audits
To find out more about the support and register your expression of interest visit the D2N2 Growth Hub website.
Upcoming events
Bassetlaw Retail Support Workshop - Thursday 6th February, 4-6pm, The Bridge Skills Hub, Worksop
High street business support
- Business Advisor support delivered through a team of locally based digital high street advisors and Specialists, employed by the Chamber, helping you in a number of key areas. Support will focus on helping you to embrace digital in order to increase footfall and attract new customers. The support will be extended to other areas too, to help you on things like business growth, implementing new technologies and leadership. Business Advisors will meet with you, assess where you’re at by running a diagnostics report, and produce a Business Action Plan.
- Access to digital know-how workshops on topics such as eCommerce, better use of social media, creating an online shopfront and improving your customer journey through social content.
How do I sign up to the Bassetlaw high street support?
Simply complete the form to register your interest Bassetlaw high street business support programme form
Growth Grant
Applications for the Growth Grant have now closed.
Businesses that have been trading three years or more and employ 49 employees or fewer, can apply for a grant up to a maximum of £4,000. An initial chat with one of our Business Advisors is required before an application can be made.
Directory of council services
Useful contacts for businesses in the district:
Business Centres
Middletons Yard - middletonsyardinfo@bassetlaw.gov.uk, 01909 348 811
Retford Enterprise - retfordenterpriseinfo@bassetlaw.gov.uk, 01777 712 712
Other useful contacts
Internal services
Business Rates - business.rates@bassetlaw.gov.uk, 01909 533 533 (ask for business rates)
Environmental Health - environmentalhealth@bassetlaw.gov.uk, 01909 533 219
Licensing - licensing@bassetlaw.gov.uk, 01909 533 533
Skills - employmentandskills@bassetlaw.gov.uk, 01909 533 533
The Bridge Skills Hub - skillshub@bassetlaw.gov.uk, 01909 384 802
External organisations
Gov.UK – the best place to find Government services and information i.e. Business & Self Employed
Princes Trust– work with 18-30 year olds to start up businesses. Offers an Enterprise programme, mentoring and funding.
D2N2 Growth Hub – support available for start-ups and established businesses. Providing access to finance and training events. Covers Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.
Last Updated on Wednesday, April 9, 2025