Dacorum's Den Application

Please complete and submit this application form by 12pm midday on Wednesday 25nd March 2026.

You will be scored on the information contained in this form, so please ensure you have included all relevant points from your Business Plan. Include any supporting documents you would also like the judges to consider. Please refer and adhere to the eligibility criteria displayed on the website.

You will be informed within 4 weeks of the application close date if you have been selected to present to the panel of judges. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email.

Presentations to the judges will take place on Wednesday 13th May 2026.

Winners Awards Lunch will take place on Wednesday 17th June 2026. Venue to be confirmed.

For more information and eligibility criteria, please visit www.dacorum.gov.uk/dacorumsden

You must submit all applications using the online application form below. If you are unable to provide documents to us in this format, please contact business@dacorum.gov.uk.

Business Details

Title

First Name

Last Name

Contact Number

Confirm I am a resident of the borough / business is registered in Dacorum

Postcode

Business Name

Position in the Business

Business Sector

Web Address

How many people do you employ?

What is your actual turnover per annum?

Date you started/will start trading

Trading Postcode (if different)

Please give a brief description of your business. [3000 Characters]

What is the total cost of your proposal? [500 Characters]

How much grant is required? (Max £1000) [500 Characters]

Where will any remaining funds be sourced from? [500 Characters]

What is the funding for? [30 Characters] Please provide a topline summary on what the funding will be used for e.g. website development, purchasing new packaging equipment, digital marketing. You can expand on this further in the next box.

Business proposal (20 marks)

Please provide a summary of your business proposal. Include details of how you will spend the grant, any research that you have undertaken, gaps in markets, diversifying into new markets etc. [3000 Characters]

Applications will be assessed based on the following criteria:

Shows a clear understanding of the business

5 marks

Demonstrates knowledge of their market

5 marks

Clear plan showing how the grant will be spent

5 marks

Demonstrates longevity and future growth potential

5 marks

Grant Benefits (20 marks)

What do you expect to achieve with this funding; can you identify how it will support the growth of the businesses and/or its impact on the local community and environment? [3000 Characters]

Applications will be assessed based on the following criteria:

Demonstrates potential for growth in turnover

5 marks

Demonstrates potential for growth in employee numbers

5 marks

Will the grant benefit the local community?

5 marks

Will the grant benefit the environment?

5 marks

Measurement & Evaluation (5 marks)

How will you evaluate the effectiveness of the grant and how will you track its impact on the business? (This could include for example, increase in sales, return on investment, business growth, profitability, increased production, branding awareness, employment growth, reduced carbon emissions etc.) [3000 Characters]

Please attach any additional information, visuals or data that you feel will support your submission. (Max File Size 8Mb)

If hosting supporting information files on a file server such as OneDrive or Google Drive, or on a video publishing service such as YouTube or Vimeo, please add the URL link in one of the comments boxes above.

You can save your application and return to complete via the link emailed to you. Please ensure you finalise your application by clicking the submit button. Please check to ensure that you receive a submission acknowledgment email confirming your entry.

Where did you hear about the Dacorum’s Den Grant Fund?