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High Street Business Support Grant

Funded by Government Logo

Delivery: May 2025 – March 2026

Grant Guidance Policy and Information Notes for Business Applicants

Investment Priority – Supporting Local Business

Intervention E23: Strengthening local entrepreneurial ecosystems, and supporting businesses at all stages of their development to start, sustain, grow and innovate, including through local networks.

Introduction

Bassetlaw District Council has secured funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.  This will enable Bassetlaw District Council to offer a High Street Support Grant and support and advice until the 31st March 2026.

This funding is linked to investment priority: Supporting Local Business

Intervention E23: Strengthening local entrepreneurial ecosystems, and supporting businesses at all stages of their development to start, sustain, grow and innovate, including through local networks

 

UKSPF Indicative Output Indicator

UKSPF Outcome Indicator
  • Number of potential entrepreneurs provided assistance to be business ready
  • Number of organisations receiving financial support other than grants
  • Number of organisations receiving grants
  • Number of organisations receiving non-financial support
  • Jobs created
  • Jobs safeguarded
  • Number of new businesses created
  • Number of businesses adopting new to the firm technologies or processes
  • Increased number of businesses engaged in new markets
  • Number of businesses with improved productivity
  • Number of businesses introducing new products to the firm

UKSPF Outputs and Outcomes relating to intervention E23

What is the High Street Support Grant?

Through UKSPF, the Council has allocated £100k to support businesses across the District from May 2025 till March 2026.  If you have already been working with an Adviser through the High Street Business Support Programme  then a requirement to apply has already been identified. 

  1. To be eligible to apply, the business owner will have already engaged in support as part of the High Street Business Support programme. A robust action plan will have identified a need to apply for a grant.  
  2. A maximum of £4000 can be awarded.
  3. The business owner is not required to provide match funding but if the value of the activities outlined exceed the value of the grant award (maximum £4000), the business owner will need to fund the difference.
  4. You cannot apply if you have already accessed the funding in the previous round

Am I eligible to apply for a grant?

  1. This is available to micro and small enterprises (employing up to 49 employees) operating independently on the high street or based elsewhere within the Bassetlaw district.
  2. Business owners must be able to provide a unique business identifier in the form of a Companies House Registration Number, VAT Registration Number or Unique Tax Reference Number to support their application.
  3. To be eligible to apply, the business owner will have engaged in support delivered as part of the High Street Business Support Programme
  4. Please note that if the business is less than 36 months (3 years) old, then you CANNOT also apply for the BDC Enterprise Grant Scheme.
  5. You are not eligible to apply: if your business is in administration, insolvent or where a striking-off notice has been made or the business has exceeded the permitted subsidy allowance.
  6. Internal checks will be carried out to determine if there is any outstanding debt to Bassetlaw District Council. If there is deemed to be any, then this needs to be brought back into credit before any application is progressed.
  7. Grant receipients will need to evidence that the grant will be spent within 3 months of the grant being awarded.

Please note that the Council cannot cover the VAT element of costs and therefore we can only pay out on the net cost

How much grant could I receive?

A grant of up to £4,000 is available to contribute towards eligible project costs.

The grant programme will be administered on a first come first served basis as there is a limited amount of funding. Only one grant application per business is permitted. The Panel will aim to review your application within 3 weeks of it being submitted.

The grant Panel’s decision is final and there is no right to appeal.

How do I apply?

Applicants will need to submit:

  • An electronic application form. The application form needs to be completed in full and documents requested uploaded to support your application. The link will be provided to you via email.
  • The action plan outlining the business improvement you are to implement.
  • The amount of grant you are requesting up to the value of £4000 and what it will contribute towards.
  • A recent copy of a bank statement (covering a period with the last 3-months) to verify the bank account details.
  • A copy of your latest accounts

Applications must be submitted by the business owner; applications submitted on the business owner’s behalf will not be accepted.

What can I use the grant for?

The grant can be used towards the following costs:

  1. Developing a website for your business or enhancing an existing one.
  2. Adaption or introduction of e-commerce into the business i.e. allowing you to sell your products/services over the internet.
  3. Adaption or introduction of an electronic payment system into your business i.e. contactless payments and click & collect.
  4. Setting up or assistance to use existing social media platforms more effectively.
  5. Developing a marketing plan and delivering associated activities.
  6. Improving overall store experience i.e. visual aids to enhance your store environment.
  7. Engaging consultancy support to implement the above.
  8. This is not an exahausive list but provided as an example of business improvement techniques that will be supported.

The grant cannot be used for the following:

  1. Contribution towards the purchase/lease of a vehicle
  2. Rent or deposit for premises
  3. Working capital
  4. Stock/materials
  5. Wages or other revenue items
  6. Debt or loan repayments
  7. Insurance costs
  8. Legal Services
  9. Planning Fees
  10. In retrospect to cover costs already incurred prior to the grant award.

You may be liable to financial clawback from the Council if money is spent on ineligible costs.

When is the grant paid?

  1. 100% will be paid when we receive a signed acceptance of our grant offer.
  2. Grant payment will be made directly into the applicants business bank account via BACS.

Other important information

Any grant income your business receives is taxable. You must include the grant award as income on your tax return. You’ll only pay tax if your business makes an overall profit once grant income is included.

You will have 3 months from confirmation of the grant awarded to supply evidence to the Council of the grant being spent in the form of invoices/receipts.  Failure to do so will result in the grant being paid back in full.

Next Steps

If your business fits the outlined eligibility criteria please complete the grant application form in full and provide the requested supporting documentation.

For further information please contact the Economic Development team via via email: economic.development@bassetlaw.gov.uk

Last Updated on Thursday, May 8, 2025