Tourism and Hospitality Businesses Grant

Businesses in Gravesham will be able to apply for up to £1,000 to come up with a tourism package to increase visits to their premises and showcase the destination to a new and wider audience, and join the “Kent Big Weekend” campaign.

This guidance is key in supporting you to complete the application form.

About the scheme

A grant up to the value of £1000 is available to new and existing tourism and hospitality businesses in Gravesham. This will be to provide packages such as special and unique tours, free tickets to events, food experiences and visitor accommodation offers.

Businesses will need to upload their offer and tickets to be listed and showcased on the Kent Big Weekend website. Businesses taking part will also be listed on the Visit Gravesham website.

All applications that meet the eligibility criteria will be assessed by a grant panel on a first come first served basis. Applicants will be notified whether their application has been successful or not after the grant panel has completed its review.

All initial grant payments (50% upfront payments) will be made by February 2025, once details have been uploaded on the booking platform; therefore, it is crucial proposals are finalised and grant offer letters signed by 10 February 2025. The remaining grant payments will be made by end of March 2025.

Programme timescales

• Business engagement promoting the THBG scheme – December 2024 to January 2025
• THBG scheme live for applications – 16th December 2024
• THBG scheme closing date – 17th January 2025
• Panel assessment of application received – 20th January to 24th January 2025
• Notification of recipients to receive grant – 27th January 2025
• Acceptance of grant/signature of the grant agreement – by 10th February 2025
• All details of the offer and business images to be provided – by 21 February 2025
• Mobilisation/commencement of campaign – 28 February 2025 to 24 March 2025

Priorities of the scheme:

• To increase the awareness of the Borough’s tourism and experiential offer
• To assist businesses in promoting their tourism and hospitality product
• To encourage additional and repeat visits as a result of the campaign

Who can apply

The grant scheme is open to all owners and leaseholders of a tourism and hospitality business in Gravesham.

Eligible businesses include:

• Accommodation providers – hotels, bed and breakfast and guest houses properties, self-catering properties, campsites
• Tourism attractions and Experiential venues
• Pubs, restaurants and cafes

The grant will not fund:

• Recurring revenue costs (including salaries, stock, rent, utility charges etc)
• Repaying existing loans or debts

How to apply

Applications are now closed. 

All grant offers will be made in writing.

Supporting Information required:

• Most recent bank statements (3 months)
• Clear detail and proposal of your tourism package offer
• Detailed costings related to your offer
• Visitors’ data and evidence of delivery of the offer will be required for successful grant recipients.

Grant Conditions:

• Grants are discretionary and the Council reserves the right to withhold payment of the grant in whole or part if any condition of the offer letter has been breached
• The applicant must hold a business bank account (a ‘trading as’ account is acceptable)
• The applicant must have all the necessary permissions and licenses to operate the business
• By accepting the grant, you agree to be involved with Gravesham Borough Council on any publicity on the fund e.g. press releases and photographs, interviews.
• The applicant must not have any other outstanding debts payable to Gravesham Borough Council
• All grant decisions are at the discretion of the grant panel
• All applications will be assessed on the criteria and priorities of the scheme
• All the necessary statutory approvals and legal requirement must be complied with before the remaining half of the grant is paid.
• The grant is repayable should any of the conditions be breached or if the project is not implemented in full as detailed in the application form
• Grants will be limited to one per business
• The applicant/business needs to be financially solvent

Offer of the Grant

An offer of grant must be accepted within 10 working days of receipt of the offer letter by returning a copy of the offer of grant letter signed by the applicant. After this date the offer will be automatically withdrawn. The offer letter will be emailed or sent via the post (if no email is provided), return of acceptance can also be emailed with an electronic signature or sent via the post with a wet signature.

Payment of Grant

• 50% of the grant will be awarded on receipt of offers and signature of the grant offer letter or agreement.
• The remainder of the grant (50%) will be paid by 31 March 2025.
• Please do not start your offers prior to receipt of your offer letter start date as invoices dated before the date of the offer letter will not be eligible for grant payments.
• The remainder payment (50%) will be subject to the applicant having satisfactorily uploaded and marketed their offer and complied with all terms and conditions of the scheme.
• If the actual costs are less than those outlined in the application and agreed in the offer letter, payment will be restricted to the actual amount in accordance with the receipted invoices.
• If the costs of the proposed project exceed the maximum grant awarded as agreed in the offer letter, Gravesham Borough Council will not increase the grant amount.
• Payment of the grant will be made into the applicant’s business bank account (or ‘trading as’ account) via BACS.

Repayment of Grant:

Gravesham Borough Council reserves the right to recover all or part of the grant it has offered and paid to the applicant if:

• The business is sold or ceases to trade for whatever reason within the time period of the campaign offer.
• The business relocates outside the boundaries of Gravesham Borough Council within the time of the campaign offer.
• Information provided in the application form or other correspondence is found to be substantially incorrect, misleading, or incomplete.
• The business has committed acts or offences which could bring the Council into disrepute.
• The business has committed any fraudulent acts or bribing another person.