High Street Fit Out 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 of a £100,000. This will enable Bassetlaw District Council to offer a High Street Shop Fit Out Grant.

These guidance notes have been compiled to give you details to make an informed decision of whether this grant is right for you and your business and if you meet the eligibility criteria before you complete an application form.

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 Fit Out Grant?

Through UKSPF, the Council has allocated £100,000 to support new businesses to fit out premises on the high streets and within the town centres across the District i.e. Worksop, Harworth & Bircotes, Tuxford and Retford from May 2025 until March 2026 in the form of a grant. The Council wants to reduce the amount of vacant properties within our town centres and diversify the shopping and eating out offer; this grant will give businesses the opportunity to achieve those goals. A maximum of £20,000 is available to successful applicants (as per table below). Adviser support through BDC is available to assist you with completing the application.

Length of lease or rental agreement	Amount of Maximum Grant
12-24 months (no breaks)	£5000
24-35 months (no breaks)	£10,000
3 years + (no breaks in the first 3 years)	£20,000

Three (3) recent quotations are required for works over £10,000 (within 3 months). If your project has multiple elements e.g. involves building work and the purchase of equipment, and both individually exceed £10,000, three quotations will be required for both the building work and the purchase of equipment

The grant will be administered on a first come, first served basis and a panel will decide whether the applicant is awarded. We will aim to inform you of the outcome of your application within three weeks of the submission date. The decision of the panel is final and there is no appeals process.

This grant can be used to fund structural works to a property and/or equipment your business needs to provide services and trade from the property (Capital Expenditure).

Organisations securing leases for long-term use of 12 months or longer can request funding for both structural works and/or equipment.

Applicants must be able to explain how each item of works or equipment they are requesting supports their organisation to trade and provide services. Equipment can be either new or second hand/refurbished (in the case of all works/equipment purchased, evidence will be required to be submitted to evidence spend).

Applicants must confirm whether any of the works they are requesting funding for require planning permission. If they do, we will need to see proof that permission has been sought and will not make any payments until we receive proof, permission has been granted. Conversely, if permission is not required, then evidence will also need to be submitted.

You must not start any works or purchase any requested equipment until you have received and signed your Grant Offer Letter. We are not able to pay for works already started or equipment already purchased before our grant offer is confirmed.

The council, as a public authority, is subject to the UK State Subsidy scheme, which applies limits on the level of funding a recipient can receive. When completing the grant application form, applicants will be asked to list the sources and amounts of funding they have received.

Please note that the Council cannot cover the VAT element and therefore we can only cover net costs

Please read below before proceeding with the application process:-

You must be a business located/operating within Bassetlaw District or relocating into Bassetlaw from outside the District
The premise you are looking to fit out is situated within the town centres of Worksop, Harworth & Bircotes, Tuxford and Retford
Your business must have been registered i.e. as a limited company, charity, social enterprise or as self-employed via HMRC i.e. a sole trader
A maximum of £20,000 can be awarded
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 £20,000), the business owner will need to fund the difference.
A lease has been signed by the landlord and tenant
All permissions have been granted

Do I require planning permission?

Planning permission is required for works that involve a material change to the external appearance of a building. Examples of this are alterations to the fascia, the windows or the doorway, changes to the type of material used or the installation of awnings, blinds or security shutters.

Advertisement consent is required for the display of certain types of signs. You may also require planning permission for change of use to the property.

If you are unsure whether your works require planning permission, you should seek further guidance on planning implications. Additional fees maybe incurred during the pre-application process. Please see the contact details below if you’d like to speak

to the relevant team within the council for further advice:

Email: planning@bassetlaw.gov.uk

Telephone: 01909 533533

Website: Planning applications | Bassetlaw District Council and Pre-Application Advice | Bassetlaw District Council

Am I eligible to apply for a grant?

This is available to businesses operating or relocating into the Bassetlaw District.
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.
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.
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
Grant recipients will need to evidence that the grant will be spent in full by the 31^st March 2026.
Businesses operating currently within the town centres will not be eligible unless they are expanding and with a new offer

The following types of businesses are excluded:

Some types of organisations will not be eligible to receive funding, including:

Any organisation subject to a franchise agreement that gives control over business decisions to a franchisor, betting shops, charities, pawn brokers, amusement or gaming arcades, tobacconists, vape shops, shisha bars, shops or venues wholly or mainly offering material of an adult or sexual nature, businesses or activities for political purposes or gain, for activities promoting religious beliefs or to proscribed organisations or organisations that support radicalisation or terrorism. This is not an exhaustive list. We retain the right to add to it at any time.

Applications will also be favoured from the following under-represented sectors i.e. footwear/clothing, personal goods i.e. and food/beverages on premises

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. You must not submit your application in any other format.
The amount of grant you are requesting up to the value of £20,000 and what it will contribute towards.
A recent copy of a bank statement (covering a period within the last 3-months) to verify the bank account details and to evidence financial standing
A recent copy of your accounts (if applicable)
Copies of all relevant permissions for the works/equipment installation where relevant

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:

The extension, improvement, or modification of commercial/retail buildings.
Works including replacing shop fronts, new roofs, windows, doors, rendering, stone/brick cleaning, electrical works, floors and ceilings, etc.
New equipment/shop fittings such as: shelving, racks, storage and display units; food/refrigeration storage; food preparation equipment (ovens etc.)
New equipment specific to your business/industry that is integral to your business providing services. (examples include crockery for restaurants, hairdryers for salons)

The grant cannot be used for the following:

Stock
Rental or lease deposit or costs
Business rates
Staffing costs
Insurance costs
Cleaning products
Computers, phones, tablets, etc
Promotional and marketing materials or activities
New equipment that is not integral to your business providing services at the property (such as day-to-day consumables, vacuum cleaners, staff room equipment)

If you are unsure if your requested works or equipment are eligible, please email

economic.development@bassetlaw.gov.uk

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

When is the grant paid?

50% will be paid when we receive a signed agreement of our grant offer and all permissions have been granted (if applicable). A further payment will be paid on completion of works
Grant payment will be made directly into the applicant’s business bank account via BACS.

Closing date to for applications to be submitted is 30 November 2025

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 until the 31^st March 2026 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 and subject to clawback.

Before and after photo evidence will need to be submitted as part of our monitoring requirements and the applicant will be subject to regular monitoring meetings to ensure we are working within the required deadlines.

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

Last Updated on Thursday, June 12, 2025