The Government has pledged £415m investment to support local economies and create up to 3,000 new jobs.
The funding includes £300m to give small retail firms £1,000 of their next tax bill, £100m to set up 12 enterprise zones, and £15m to establish eight new university enterprise zones.
Communities secretary, Eric Pickles, said: 'This money for infrastructure will transform acres of enterprise zone land and build a stronger, more competitive business environment that will create up to 3000 jobs for hardworking people across the country.
'While our fully funded £1000 retail discount will make a huge difference to 300,000 of the essential small shops and local traders we find in our town centres across the country.'
The 12 enterprise zones will be in Harlow, Humber, Leeds, Sheffield, Discovery Park in Kent, Oxford, Daresbury, Alconbury, London’s Royal Docks, the Black Country, Nottingham and the Solent.