Independent retailers looking to improve their shops could be able to get help with the cost from their local council, with a number of local authorities currently operating schemes to support improvements to high streets and commercial premises.
The latest example comes from Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, which is investing £150,000 through a new Business Internal Improvement Grant Scheme.
The scheme will offer eligible businesses and commercial property owners grants of between £2,000 and £7,500, covering up to 50 per cent of eligible project costs.
Applications open at 9am on 12 October and will be assessed on a first-come, first-served basis, closing on 20 November or earlier if the budget is exhausted.
But Armagh is far from the only council offering this type of support.
How much could retailers get?
There is no standard council grant, with current and recent schemes showing a wide variation in both the amount available and the proportion of costs covered.
In West Northamptonshire, the Brackley Town Centre Grants scheme offers independent businesses grants of up to £10,000. Shopfront and exterior improvement projects can receive up to 80 per cent funding, while interior improvements and new service offerings can receive 50 per cent.
The scheme is funded through the Section 106 Brackley Town Fund and is being delivered by West Northamptonshire Council in partnership with Brackley Town Council.
The latest application round started on 5 October, with deadline due on 23 November. The funding rounds are held quarterly, meaning retailers can contact the council for details of upcoming rounds.
Pendle Borough Council is currently offering premises improvement grants of up to £3,000, covering 50 per cent of eligible costs, to businesses in the town centres of Barrowford, Brierfield, Colne and Nelson.
The scheme is primarily aimed at improving property frontages, including windows, frames and doors. It can also support the occupation of long-empty commercial properties and projects that create additional jobs.
And there is an immediate opportunity for businesses in Northfleet.
Gravesham Borough Council has allocated a further £20,000 of UK government funding for its Northfleet High Street Premises Improvement Grant, with businesses able to apply for up to £4,000 towards physical improvements to their premises.
Applications close on 16 October, with grants awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The scheme requires businesses to provide information including quotes for proposed work and, where relevant, planning or other permissions.
The examples show why retailers should not assume that their local scheme will offer a particular level of support.
Where does the money come from?
There is no single national shop improvement fund that retailers can apply to.
Councils can use different funding sources to create local schemes, including government funding and their own local budgets.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund was an important source of business and high-street support, with local authorities given considerable responsibility for deciding how funding was delivered locally.
Other current schemes use different funding pots. The Gravesham Northfleet scheme, for example, is funded with UK government’s Pride in Place programme, while the Brackley scheme is funded through the Section 106 agreement.
This means retailers should not search only for “UKSPF grants” when looking for support.
Instead, schemes can appear under names such as shopfront improvement, premises improvement, town-centre grants, high-street grants or business improvement funds.
What can retailers spend the money on?
Again, this depends on the individual scheme.
Shopfront grants can cover improvements such as windows, doors, signage, lighting and external decoration, while some schemes also cover internal refurbishment, accessibility, equipment or new services.
Pendle's scheme, for example, is focused on property frontages, while Armagh's new fund is specifically designed around internal improvements.
Brackley's scheme has a broader remit, allowing funding for structural works and equipment that helps a business trade more efficiently and provide services.
Retailers should therefore check the detailed rules before deciding what work to undertake.
Don't assume you are eligible
One of the biggest differences between schemes is who can apply.
Some are restricted to businesses within tightly defined town-centre boundaries.
Brackley's scheme, for example, is restricted to independent businesses with a shopfront in defined parts of Brackley town centre. Applicants must employ fewer than 50 people, meet turnover and balance-sheet limits and have at least 12 months remaining on their lease. Franchise holders are not eligible.
Gravesham's Northfleet scheme is similarly targeted at businesses within a defined boundary. It is open to retailers such as grocery stores, but excludes national retailers and chains, betting shops, pawnbrokers, adult entertainment premises and vape shops. Applicants must also have at least three years remaining on their lease.
This makes checking the small print essential before retailers spend money on a proposed project.
When do these schemes open?
There is no single “grant season”.
Councils can launch schemes at different points depending on when funding becomes available and local priorities.
Some operate on a first-come, first-served basis, while others assess applications against specific criteria or hold application rounds.
Armagh's new scheme, for example, will open on 12 October and can close early if the £150,000 budget is exhausted.
Gravesham's current Northfleet scheme opened on 10 August and closes on 16 October.
Brackley takes a different approach, with quarterly funding rounds.
This means retailers could miss out simply by finding out about a scheme after its funding has been allocated.
How can retailers find out what their council offers?
Check your council's business support pages
Search for terms such as “business grants”, “shopfront”, “premises improvement”, “high street”, “town centre” and “business support”.
Sign up for business newsletters
Councils often use business mailing lists to announce new funding programmes.
Check regeneration and town-cententre pages
Grant schemes may be managed by economic development, regeneration or town-centre teams rather than the council's business rates department.
Have a project in mind
If you are considering new signage, improved lighting, a shopfront refurbishment, accessibility work or an internal makeover, establish what you want to achieve before a grant opens.
Get quotes ready
Some schemes require quotations as part of the application. Gravesham, for example, requires copies of quotes for proposed works.
Don't start the work too early
This is particularly important. Brackley's rules state that businesses must not start work or purchase requested equipment until they have received and signed their grant offer letter.
Could your council help pay for your next shop improvement?
There is no single national scheme for retailers to apply to, but the current examples show that local opportunities can be worth thousands of pounds.
The support available can range from 50 per cent funding for relatively small projects to schemes such as Brackley's, where eligible shopfront projects can receive up to 80 per cent of costs, capped at £10,000.
The key is to find out what your own council is offering before committing to the work.
For independent retailers, a planned shop improvement could therefore be worth checking with the council before reaching for the chequebook.