GrantRadar

Falkirk Council

Vacant Premises Improvement Grant

Capital grants of £2,000 to £25,000 to bring vacant high street and town centre premises in the Falkirk area back into use, funded by the UK Government's Pride in Place Impact Fund. Third sector organisations can get 75% of eligible costs and businesses 50%. It suits a charity or social enterprise taking on, or a third-sector landlord letting, an empty town-centre unit. Applications run until February 2027 or until the fund is fully subscribed, and works must be finished by February 2027.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£2,000 – £25,000
no fixed round
Deadline
Rolling
apply any time
Effort
Heavy
budgets, references, often several stages

Who can apply

  • Third sector: formally registered, constituted non-profit organisations with fewer than 250 employees (no income limit, but priority to income under £1 million), with a named organisation bank account, applying as a third-sector landlord with an identified tenant, a start-up leasing an empty high street unit, or an existing group expanding into a new or larger high street property
  • Businesses: sole traders, partnerships and limited companies
  • The unit must be in Falkirk, Grangemouth, Denny, Bo'ness, Bonnybridge or Larbert/Stenhousemuir town centres (outlying retail clusters considered), on the ground floor, basement or first floor (ground floor preferred), vacant for at least a month, with a lease of at least 12 months
  • Third sector groups can receive one grant; businesses up to two
  • Up to ten items per application
  • Applicants must not owe the council money

What it funds

Capital works that make a vacant unit functional (not a bespoke fit-out), such as:

  • Internal reconfiguration for new third sector community use, e.g. retail or social enterprise space, co-working areas, advice or wellbeing projects, including room partitioning
  • Installation of permanent WC and kitchen facilities
  • Upgrade of heating, lighting, plumbing, electrics and sales points
  • Permanent flooring
  • Installation or upgrade of fixtures and fittings such as slat walling, shelving or display units
  • Internal improvements recommended on the building's Energy Performance Certificate
  • Accessibility improvements beyond those required by law
  • Commercial grade equipment needed to reoccupy the unit and run the proposed activity
  • External works (windows and doors, signage and frontages, exterior building upgrades)
  • Directly related architect and professional fees, up to 10% of total eligible project costs
  • Statutory consent fees that clearly relate to the project

What it will not fund

  • Revenue or operating costs
  • Projects already started, or invoices or payments dated before the award
  • VAT that the applicant can recover
  • Premises to be used primarily for faith-based worship or political purposes
  • Large nationally governed organisations with significant national-level income or resources
  • Large national chains, betting shops, sex shops, pawn brokers, tanning salons, tobacconists, vape shops and alcohol-only outlets (business strand)
  • Applicants in debt to Falkirk Council, e.g. business rates arrears

How to apply

  1. Email a project outline (applicant, premises address, proposed use, description and cost of works, timeline, and whether planning or building consents are needed) to CommunityDevelopment@falkirk.gov.uk (third sector) or bsgrant@falkirk.gov.uk (businesses)
  2. A Community Development Worker or Business Gateway adviser discusses the project with you
  3. If the outline is suitable you are given access to the online application portal; gather evidence and draft offline first
  4. An officer visits the vacant property as part of the appraisal; funding panels meet as needed
  5. If awarded, complete the works by February 2027 and submit claims with invoices and evidence by 19 March 2027

third sector grants may be paid in instalments against completed work; unsuccessful applicants can appeal within 14 days

Have ready

  • Signed constitution or articles of association (with charity or CIC number)
  • Evidence of property ownership or proposed ownership (title deeds)
  • Draft lease of at least 12 months (signed lease before payment)
  • 12-month cash flow
  • Latest independently verified accounts and up-to-date management accounts (if operating more than 12 months)
  • Full business plan (start-ups operating less than 12 months)
  • Evidence of secured match funding
  • Landlord approval of the works (for tenant applicants), sent directly by the landlord
  • Planning, listed building or building warrant consents, if applicable
  • Two formal quotations per item, dated within 3 months

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