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Retail business support grant

Apply for up to £500 (excluding VAT) of grant funding to support your business allowing you to invest in delivering the key actions in your business plan.

Grants are paid in arrears - this means that the business needs to buy the equipment or complete the works in full, and then provide evidence and reclaim the grant from the council.

This grant has been funded by the Government's Shared Prosperity Fund.

Eligibility

Businesses must:

  • be in North Northamptonshire
  • be a retail business with:
    • a business premises
    • fewer than 250 employees
    • an annual turnover that does not exceed £50 million or annual balance sheet that does not exceed £43 million
    • no more than 25% owned by an enterprise that is not itself an SME
  • have been trading for more than 12 months at the application deadline date
  • meet Minimum Financial Assistance requirements
  • pass credit checks and a Companies House check

Publicly funded organisations (such as local councils) aren't eligible.

Funding

We can help fund investment in your business plan including:

  • equipment or machinery
  • formal training
  • shop front improvements (building works, fixtures and fittings, equipment)
  • new website or software

We cannot help fund:

  • staffing costs
  • landlord obligations
  • costs that can be claimed back from elsewhere (e.g. VAT)
  • costs that are not auditable (e.g. cash payments unsupported by an approved financial system)
  • costs towards banking charges or repayment of debt
  • retrospective costs (e.g. activities already completed or costs incurred before the agreement of funding)

Terms and conditions

Privacy information and conditions for applications

Refer to our UK Shared Prosperity Fund business grants privacy notice for further information about privacy.

The following conditions apply for successful applicants:

  • grant funding is paid in arrears, on receipt of a fully evidenced claim form, including copies of invoices, bank statements and evidence of completion of works and installation
  • your organisation will need to comply in accordance with the provisions of and principles of the Data Protection Act 2018
  • this grant is not transferable between projects or organisations
  • a grant is awarded based on information provided in the application. Should this information be found to be misleading, or the supported project is cancelled, the council will be entitled to be repaid the grant monies
  • it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure they have all relevant consents and permissions in place (i.e. planning permission, DBS checks, and licenses). A grant award does not give permission to proceed with any work without the correct statutory authorisation
  • successful grants awarded must be spent by 30 January 2025 and must meet and comply with the grant arrangements
  • successful grants awarded must comply with appropriate monitoring systems, including a final report and any relevant documentation such as receipts
  • applications made for funding requests over £500 will be rejected
  • the applicant must commit to provide business accounts for 12 months before and after grant receipt
  • grants cannot contribute to projects that are already underway, any costs incurred before confirmation of the grant award are not eligible and will not be included. For the avoidance of doubt, retrospective project costs will not be eligible

Apply

We are more likely to support innovative plans that build resilience and support business growth.

You need to include: 

  • year-end accounts
  • copy of a completed business plan
  • at least 1 quotation for items or works

Once you have applied, we may ask for further information and supporting evidence.

The deadline for applications is Thursday 31 October 2024 at 5pm.

Apply for a grant

This is a competitive grant competition. Submission of an application does not guarantee funding will be awarded.

These grants are funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025.

The fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.

Last updated 30 September 2024