High Street Business Support Grant

Delivery: April 2026 – March 2027

Grant Guidance Policy and Information 

Notes for Business Applicants 

Amount per business: £3,000 (max)

Introduction

The Pride in Place Programme is Government’s flagship communities programme which empowers local people to shape the future of their neighbourhood. Supported by up to £5 billion in funding over 10 years, this programme represents a long-term strategy to fix the foundations in hundreds of communities across the country.  As part of this funding, Worksop has been allocated 20 million over the next 10 years.  The Worksop Together Board’s objectives include creating a vibrant town centre and high street where increased occupancy of retail units and increased town centre footfall is evident.   This grant will enable empty buildings to be brought back into use and an allocation of £120,000 capital funding in total for all Business Support Grant Programmes for the financial year 2026-2027 is now available for business support.  

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

Bassetlaw is the northernmost District in Nottinghamshire; its boundaries adjoins Derbyshire, South Yorkshire, and Lincolnshire. The city of Sheffield is approximately 25 km to the west, Nottingham is approximately 45 km to the south, and both the A1 and the East Coast Mainline railway run on a north-south axis through the centre of the District. The District is characterised by a range of settlements, from large towns to small hamlets, with a total population of 118,300 people (ONS) of which 59.7% are of working age. Nearly 65% of Bassetlaw’s residents live in its three largest towns, Worksop, Retford, and Harworth & Bircotes. The district is home to over 4000 business  89% of which are micro businesses and 99.8% being within the SME definition.

Worksop, known as the “Gateway to the Dukeries”, has a rich heritage dating back to pre-Norman times, recorded in the Domesday Book (1086). Its medieval roots include the founding of Worksop Priory and the development of a thriving market town under a Royal Charter (1296). The town’s proximity to Sherwood Forest and the historic Dukeries estates shaped its cultural identity. Today residents and visitors can enjoy easy access to Clumber Park, Sherwood Forest, Welbeck, Rufford and Thoresby.

Worksop was originally a small market town known mainly for agriculture and related services. In the late 18th century, it was famous for being one of the biggest producers of liquorice along with hat making (16 hatmakers still in Beaver Place in 1841), and also for the manufacture of Windsor Chairs.

The Industrial Revolution transformed Worksop into a centre for coal mining, timber, and manufacturing, supported by the Chesterfield Canal (1777) and railway links (1849). This industrial legacy fostered strong communities and resilience, which remain central to Worksop’s character today.

Today, Worksop is a historic market town with a population of approximately 44,700 (2021 Census), making it the largest settlement in the Bassetlaw district. Worksop combines traditional market town character with modern amenities.

Worksop has successfully transitioned from its industrial base to a modern economy driven by logistics, advanced manufacturing, and food production, leveraging its strategic location near the A1(M) and M1 corridors.

The local economy in Worksop is now dominated by service industries, manufacturing and distribution. Major employers in the area include Laing O’Rourke, Premier Foods, Greencore, B&Q, Cerealto, DHL, Pandrol, MBA Polymer, Brunton Shaw, Kybotech, and the NHS (Doncaster and Bassetlaw NHS Trust and Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust). Local income levels are well below national and regional averages. 

What is the High Street Support Grant? 

Through Pride in Place funding, Worksop Together Board has allocated funding to support businesses in Worksop Town Centre from April 2026 to March 2027.  The grant fund consists of capital funding and revenue funding. 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 must engage with a business adviser as part of the support  as part of the support delivered through the High Street Business Support programme.  A robust action plan will have identified a need to apply for a grant.  
2. A maximum of £3,000 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 £3,000), the business owner will need to fund the difference.  
4. You cannot apply if you have already accessed other business support grant funding in the previous two years through UKSPF.

Am I eligible to apply for a grant? 

1. This is available to micro and small enterprises (employing up to 49 employees) operating independently within Worksop town centre/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. You have business premises and pay rates to Bassetlaw District Council or claim SBR (Small Business Rate Relief) OR rent space within a premise whereby you can provide evidence of a rental agreement.
4. To be eligible to apply, the business owner must engage with a business adviser as part of the support delivered through the High Street Business Support Programme.
5. Priority will be given to businesses that have been in existence for longer than 36 months but we will look at applications on a case by case basis.
6. If your business is less than 3 years old, you cannot apply for both the High Street Business Support Grant and the Bassetlaw District Council Enterprise Grant Scheme.  You can only apply for one; our Business Adviser will support with this.
7. 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 (£315,000). 
8. 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.
9. Grant recipients will need to evidence that the grant will be spent within 3 months of the grant being awarded.

Please note that we 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 £3,000 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 £3,000 and details of 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.  
• 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.
• Independent verification of bank details (preferably verbally) from a trusted source 
• A copy of your latest accounts.
• Quotations to support the purchase/services you will be using the grant for.

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 (these are just examples of what you could use the grant for; the list is not exhaustive):

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. A new piece of equipment to help diversify your business.
9. Basic upgrades to heating, lighting etc. 

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 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 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.

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, 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.

Any employee of Bassetlaw District Council.

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 team  via email: worksop.together@bassetlaw.gov.uk 

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Last Updated on Thursday, June 25, 2026