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Welcome to the latest edition of Dartford Borough Council's Local Business Briefing.
Dartford’s local economy is booming and that’s all down to our amazing businesses, large and small, right across the borough.
We hope you find this briefing useful, if there’s anything you’d like to see in future editions, or if you’d like to promote your business to others, please do let us know.
Jeremy Kite MBE
Dartford Borough Council Leader
Avtar Sandhu MBE
Dartford Borough Council Lead Member for Business and Enterprise
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  After another fantastic Dartford Business Awards in 2024, the Awards have returned for 2025 to recognise, reward and celebrate the achievements of the local business community.
As always, there’s a host of free categories for everyone to get involved in during the build up to the awards evening itself, to be held at Bluewater Shopping Centre on Thursday 9th October (make sure you save the date!)
This year’s categories are:
We are delighted that Dartford Living and Made in Kent Radio are also returning as our official media partners.
To enter your business into the Dartford Business Awards, you must be based in the Dartford Borough Council business rates areas, and must have been trading for a full year to January 1st, 2025.
To enter your business by the deadline of Monday 1st September,
visit www.dartfordbusinessawards.co.uk/awards now.
Or contact businessawards@dartford.gov.uk to find out more, sign up to our mailing list, or express your interest in becoming a sponsor of the Awards.
You can also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/dartfordbusinessawards or on X/Twitter at www.twitter.com/dartford_biz
Best of luck to everyone with your applications this year!
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 Apply online now for a King's Awards for Enterprise!
Show why your Dartford based business deserves recognition.
Businesses can apply now until 9th September in the fields of International Trade, Innovation, Sustainable Development and Promoting Opportunity.
Best of luck!
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 The next Dartford Living Live networking event for local businesses and charities will be held at the Orchard West Theatre on Wednesday 10th September from 7-9pm.
Tickets are available now via the Dartford Living Live website.
Check out the video from a previous event via the button below...
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We recently received the below letter from Harden Holidays, one of Dartford's brightest businesses. Read on to find out more, and let us know if you'd like your business featured in our next briefing...
‘Winners of ‘Shop of the Year’ at the Dartford Business Awards in 2024 and ‘Best Travel Business London’ in 2025, Harden Holidays keep building a reputation for delivering excellent service and fantastic holidays. Opened in Dartford Town Centre in 2017, they are now expanding into larger premises and growing their staff to keep up with the ever-growing demand.
Keeping a simple principle of ‘Nothing is more important than your holiday’ ensures that the focus is always where it should be. Their independence means there is no head office providing targets that distract and divert from that core principle.
Having their own ATOL license provides financial security whilst allowing them the flexibility to provide complex, tailor made trips & cruises that cannot be sourced through the internet. Alongside this, their commercial relationships mean that they can provide package holidays from the likes of easyJet Holidays, TUI, Jet2Holidays & many others at the same prices that consumers would find on-line. However, all of these holidays come with the service the Harden Holidays is known for. Internet prices and face to face service, that’s why the business keeps on growing.
A local success story that continues to thrive, Harden Holidays is Dartford’s Travel Agent.’
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 UK registered businesses can apply for an Innovate UK innovation loan for close to market innovative projects with strong commercial potential.
Apply by 27th August via the button below...
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 The Kent and Medway Business Fund provides 0% interest loans, to qualifying
companies with ambitions to grow.
If you’re a start-up, a high growth or fast-growing business, there may be financial support and advice available to help achieve your business goals.
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 Innovate UK is offering Travel Support of up to £750 for companies to attend Horizon Europe consortia-building events in Europe. This valuable resource enables innovators to form new collaborative partnerships to help businesses grow.
Applications for support usually close about a month before the event date, so don't leave it too late!
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 The Department for Business and Trade has announced a £452 million investment in the Battery Innovation Programme as part of the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan and the UK’s broader Industrial Strategy.
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 Recent research conducted by Start Up Loans in collaboration with YouGov indicates that fewer than half (46%) of small businesses are utilizing AI in their operations. Additionally, more than a third (34%) of small business leaders possess only a 'basic understanding' of AI tools.
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 Instagram has now stepped into the SEO game as public posts from Business and Creator accounts can now appear in Google Search results.
How can you take advantage of this?
Start treating your Instagram content like miniature blog posts by using keyword-rich captions and descriptive alt text for photos and reels.
Imagine “What would my ideal customer Google to find this?”
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 A highly efficient and straightforward approach for businesses with outdoor areas or gardens is the installation of water butts. An average roof in the UK can gather sufficient rainwater to fill 450 water butts annually. Although you may not require that many, even one water butt can accumulate hundreds of litres of rainwater, which is ideal for watering plants, cleaning outdoor spaces, or replenishing ponds, thereby decreasing your dependence on treated mains water.
Every drop conserved translates to less energy expended on treating and pumping water, which in turn diminishes your carbon footprint. Additionally, it contributes to sustaining healthy river levels, essential for our local wildlife and ecosystems, particularly in a region like Kent where the demand for water is high. Simple actions, such as repairing leaking taps, installing water-efficient devices, and educating your staff about responsible water usage, can collectively lead to a significant positive impact for our Dartford community and the broader environment.
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 The Mayor of Dartford, Cllr Peter Whapshott, is available to help businesses celebrate any events or openings during his tenure.
If you have an event coming up and would like the Mayor to attend, please fill out the form via the button below.
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 Family entertainment has returned to Dartford town centre, delivered by Cohesion Plus in partnership with Dartford Borough Council. Expect quality live music, street performances and a great community feel around the High Street from 10am-2pm every Saturday until 30th August.
As if that wasn’t enough, ‘Town Centre Live’ will also be coming to the High Street 10am-2pm every Thursday in August, in a further boost to both the market and local businesses during the Summer holidays. Expect singers, DJs, face painters, magicians, mascots and even more attractions bringing footfall to the town.
Dartford has a fantastic tradition of hosting markets, and our weekly Thursday and Saturday High Street markets remain as popular as ever.
If you’re interested in renting a pitch on either of Dartford's Markets, please contact our Market Manager on 07876 441460 or visit our website.
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 Following the decision made earlier this year that Orchard West would continue to provide theatrical performances for Dartford throughout 2025 (while essential safety works are carried out at the Orchard Theatre), the temporary theatre has since reopened with a packed programme of local arts and entertainment to boost the town’s evening economy.
The venue, which is so important to supporting culture and the arts in Dartford, has a great mix of shows on offer, right up to this year’s pantomime ‘Aladdin’ in December.
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 In Dartford, we are proud to be a diverse, enterprising and hard-working Borough. We want Dartford to be one of the best places in the UK to start and grow a business and somewhere where there are opportunities for everyone to progress in work. Our new Economic Development Strategy sets out what we're going to do to support responsible economic growth, recognising that good jobs and good business opportunities will help make Dartford a place where everyone can thrive.
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Councillor Avtar Sandhu MBE was reappointed as Dartford Borough Council's Lead Member for Business and Enterprise in 2025, and with a wealth of business experience is always happy to support local businesses in any way he can.
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The DTAC Business Crime Reduction Partnership was developed as the result of a partnership between local businesses, police, local authority, town centre management and other agencies. It is committed to reducing crime, violence and anti-social behaviour through pro-active partnership working, improving public safety and promoting a safe environment.
The benefits of joining DTAC are listed below;
- Access to an intelligence database containing updates on offenders.
- Regular DTAC meetings, providing intelligence updates, news, training for staff and your questions answered where possible.
- The benefits that come from offender managing those causing crime in retail and night time economy premises.
- In many areas, active CCTV support from Dartford Borough Council CCTV hub.
- The use of the radio network to provide support to staff. The Town beat officers and CCTV have access to this network.
Interested? Contact the DTAC Intelligence Manager Karen Radford via the button below for further information.
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Dartford Borough Council wants to remind you of the many green initiatives that are available to local businesses. These schemes can save you money and help to save the environment. It's a win win for everyone.
 Solar Together Kent is a solar panel and battery storage group purchase scheme. It enables householders and small businesses to install high quality solar panels on their homes and businesses at a competitive price.
Solar panels can help you save money on energy bills, as well as reduce your carbon footprint. You can also choose to install battery storage to help you use more of your generated electricity and an electric vehicle charging point.
Kent County Council’s ‘Green Business’ page has lots of useful information and links for businesses from low carbon growth, energy and resource efficiency grants to case studies highlighting how local businesses have reduced their carbon footprint.
Low Carbon Kent is a network of businesses tackling and adapting to climate change. They aim to reduce costs by cutting emissions and promoting the opportunities of the low carbon market.
UK Business Climate Hub provides useful information, tools and resources for businesses, including steps businesses can take to cut their emissions.
The EV infrastructure grant for staff and fleets provides small and medium sized businesses funding to install electric vehicle (EV) chargepoints and relating supporting infrastructure for their staff and fleet vehicles.
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LEP Growth Hubs are supporting local businesses facing the current cost-of-living challenges - with two million businesses helped in the past year alone.
The network of 38 Growth Hubs are local public/private sector partnerships led by the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs). They join up national and local business support so it is easy for businesses to find the help they need.
Your business can get advice and financial help from government-backed schemes including support with tax, exporting, or even advice on writing a business plan.
Our website has lots of useful information on advice and support for new businesses, from funding and setting up a business to finding a premises and training.
The Kent and Medway Growth Hub forms part of the South East Business Hub, the South East Local Enterprise Partnership’s overarching business support programme. They help new and existing businesses find the most suitable type of business support available in their area.
The Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce provides membership benefits, business advice (including international advice), chamber customs, representation and much more.
The Federation of Small Businesses' mission is to help smaller businesses achieve their ambitions by offering members a wide range of vital services including advice, financial expertise and support.
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Keep up to date with the latest news and conversations across Dartford through our 'Dartford Borough Council' Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram social media accounts.
Or feel free to get in touch with us directly...
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