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We are excited to announce the second of our ARG schemes, the ARG Start-Up Grant. This new initiative will focus on supporting newly established businesses or business ideas at the beginning of their inception, so, if you are looking to start a new venture or your business started on or from 12 April 2021 we would love to hear from you.
The Start-Up Grant will be accepting applications from all sectors however priority will be given to those businesses that operate or will look to operate within the Retail, Hospitality or Leisure sectors.
As part of the application process, you will be required to submit a Business and Financial Plan of which will be assessed by qualified business advisors who will work with you to support and drive your business forward. Applicants should be in a position to match-fund any potential award amount. Grants can only be awarded to Business at point of trading.
We have allocated £100,000 to support this fund and applications will close when this monetary limit has been reached. Please note applications will be viewed on a first-come-first-served basis and awards of up to £5,000 can be applied for.
Please click here to view the Start-Up Grant policy to ensure you are eligible and to view the detailed information we will be requesting from potential applicants. The online application form will be live on the Business NK website on Monday 27 September 2021.
 Friday October 1 is Lincolnshire Day, a day to reflect on local pride and encourage people to ‘think local’, ‘shop local’ and promote everything that makes Lincolnshire great.
In an extension to the Eventful Sleaford emphasis which saw significant activity in the town on September 4, and the assets which we’ve provided to promote safe and confident enjoyment of the town centre and village centres over recent months, we want to add to the vibe by supporting retailers to make the most of Lincolnshire Day and the emphasis on championing what we have locally.
To mark the occasion and support businesses in making the most of the opportunities to attract additional custom, North Kesteven District Council (NKDC) is providing businesses with Lincolnshire bunting and paper flags to brighten up any window displays and help to theme interiors.
We will be distributing materials from Wednesday 29 September onwards and would appreciate if you could install these, if you wish, in time for Lincolnshire Day on Friday.
As a comprehensive package, the materials include bunting, paper flags and high street banners, all made possible through European and Government financial support to encourage increased custom on high streets and at locations, known as the Welcome Back Fund. It’s all aimed at encouraging residents and visitors to shop local.
We want to encourage retailers to get involved in the festivities and to offer a discount or incentive for the weekend. Whether this is based on people coming in store and presenting a Lincolnshire flag (2,500 of which are being made available locally) wearing yellow to show that they are ‘Yellowbellies’ or other means, please let us know and we can promote your business on social media and through the www.BusinessNK.co.uk webpage, the Shop Local directory and other channels. Please do this by September 30 latest.
If you have any questions or are interested in getting involved please email ecodev@n-kesteven.gov.uk with your business name and promotional offer for the weekend. Post any images too on social media tagging in @BusinessNK and #LincolnshireDay to spread the word.
The UK Food Information Amendment, also known as Natasha’s Law, will come into effect from October 2021. The new law requires food businesses to provide full ingredient lists and allergen labelling on pre-packaged foods for direct sale on the premise.
In line with the new rules, PPDS (Prepacked for Direct Sale) food will have to clearly display the following information on the packaging:
- Name of the food
- Full ingredients list, with allergenic ingredients emphasised (for example in bold, italics or a different colour).
These changes will apply to businesses in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. More information on Natasha’s Law can be found here.
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