Spruce up your shop front with a £5,000 grant

Small and independent retailers in Crawley can apply for a Shop Front and High Street Improvement Grant of up to £5,000 to spruce up their shop front and help entice more customers.

As part of the Shop Front and High Street Improvement Grant Scheme, eligible businesses in Crawley town centre and the neighbourhood parades can bid for grants of up to £5,000 to maintain and improve the external appearance of shop fronts or enhance frontline business operations. Applications can be made for shop front enhancements, minor building works, display equipment, lighting and decoration or payment system improvements. Up to four adjoining businesses can make a joint bid for a maximum of £20,000.

One of the businesses on Gales Drive parade in Crawley recently received £3,795 in grant funding to enhance several areas of their shop. In completing these improvements, the expected outcomes include enhanced security and a more aesthetically pleasing environment for customers.

To be eligible to apply for a grant, businesses must:

• be registered with HMRC and Companies House
• pass due diligence checks undertaken by council officers
• have a physical shop premises in Crawley
• be a small independent business with a maximum of 50 employees
• not be part of a regional, national or international chain or franchise
• have security of tenure for the premises and provide evidence to prove this
• not propose inappropriate physical shop front improvements if the premises is located in designated conservation areas

A due diligence and evaluation process will be undertaken on all applications. Grants offered are subject to meeting eligibility criteria, fulfilling the aims of the scheme and a subsidy control declaration. Applications that demonstrate they will result in the delivery of environmental benefits, for example a reduction in carbon emissions, will be afforded extra weighting during the evaluation process.

To apply for a Shop Front and High Street grant, retailers will need to complete the application form on the Shop Front and High Street Improvement Grant Scheme page on the Crawley Borough Council website.

Businesses can contact the Economic Development team for further information or guidance with applications by emailing economic.development@crawley.gov.uk.