Business Support Grants
We have a variety of business grants which may be suitable for you, whether you are looking to start a business, are already established or you are thinking of moving your business to Gedling.
The deadline to apply for the grants is 1 December 2025. See below for more information.
Business Start-Up Grant
The Business Start-Up Grant (up to £2,500) is available to start-up businesses in Gedling Borough within their first 12 months of trading. The grant can be used towards start-up costs, including the purchase of machinery and equipment, building improvements and marketing costs such as business stationery and web design.
Applicants must have a business trading address in Gedling borough; if they do not intend to have a trading address, they must demonstrate that they live in the borough.
Business Growth Grant
The Business Growth Grant (up to £2,500) is available to established businesses (trading for over 12 months) based in Gedling borough wanting to improve sales, employment and/or productivity. The grant can be used towards growth costs, including the purchase of machinery and equipment, building improvements and marketing costs such as business stationery and web design.
Empty Shop Grant
The empty shop grant is available to businesses moving into specified vacant shops in Arnold town centre or the following local centres: Calverton, Carlton Hill, Carlton Square, Gedling Village, Mapperley, Netherfield and Ravenshead before the end of March 2026. Eligible uses include cafés, restaurants and retail shops, but other service-based uses are excluded.
How to apply
To apply for one of the above grants, please download and complete the Business registration form (Word) and email it to businessgrants@gedling.gov.uk
Please note that handwritten, scanned or photographs of the form cannot be accepted. Please do not convert the document to a pdf as this prevents the administrators from adding information to the relevant sections of the form. Please also note that this is not an application form; the form is intended to register your interest in the grants programme, to enable further conversations regarding your grant eligibility and to start the application process.
Our business support partner, Nottinghamshire Business Advisory Service, will contact you within five working days to discuss your business ideas and help you through the grant application process. If eligible, the grant application form and other guidance documents will be emailed to you at this stage and a business adviser will assist you throughout the application process. This is highly recommended and greatly increases the likelihood of presenting a viable and complete business case for grant approval.
Before you complete your online application please ensure you have read the Gedling Borough Council Business Support Guidance 2025 (Word).
For information on previous grant schemes, please go to our Historic Grants page.
Business grant surgeries
We're working with Nottinghamshire County Council to provide a series of business grant surgeries that will help support local businesses with how they can access certain grants. The courses are FREE and will take place, in person, at Gedling Borough Council's Civic Centre.
You can book onto one of our surgeries to speak to an advisor on how you can access the grants.
If you have, or are starting, a business trading from an address in Gedling, then you could apply for a business grant. There are three grants available: a business start-up grant, a business growth grant and an empty shop grant.
If you’d like to find out if your business could apply, then come along to our FREE grants surgery at the Gedling Civic Centre. There are six slots available throughout the day, so just pick a time that suits you best. This event will be managed by Alison North, Assistant Business Adviser at Nottinghamshire County Council who will be able to explain more and take you through the whole process. She will also be able to tell you more about other sources of business support.
Please note - you only need to attend ONE of the below events.
Wednesday 16th July 2025 : Book your free place
Thursday 14th August 2025 : Book your free place
Thursday 18th September 2025 : Book your free place
Thursday 16th October 2025 : Book your free place
Thursday 20th November 2025 : Book your free place
Thursday 18th December 2025 : Book your free place