This grant can provide up to 50% match funding, to a maximum of £25,000, to help small and medium-sized businesses move into empty, ground-floor commercial premises in Paisley, Johnstone, Renfrew, Linwood or Erskine town centres.

The grant aims to bring new types of businesses and services into vacant ground-floor, town-centre commercial premises in Renfrewshire. These businesses will help attract customers, diversify the area, and create new jobs with contracted hours.

The grant can be used to help cover the costs of:

• improvements to the premises
• fixtures and fittings
• security equipment and its installation
• business stationery
• advertising and marketing
• rent
• planning permission or building regulation fees
• insurance premiums

This grant is for new expenses that your business has not yet paid for. It cannot be used for items you've already purchased. 

You must not have started the eligible projects before you apply.

Yes, if your business is:

• a small to medium-sized business, with fewer than 250 employees worldwide
• a full-time business with a business bank account
• not in any debt to the council
• not in bankruptcy, liquidation or similar at the time you apply

You must not spend any money on the eligible projects before you've received a formal decision on your grant application.

Projects which are in direct competition with other local businesses (or have the potential to be so) will not be considered for support.

Businesses in most sectors can apply, but there are some exclusions. Ineligible businesses include:

• multi-level marketing or pyramid selling businesses
• franchises where the franchiser has control over the business decisions
• betting shops
• pawnbrokers
• beauty industry businesses, such as nail bars, aesthetics clinics, hairdressers or barbers
• amusement or gaming arcades
• tobacconists or vape shops
• most fast-food and dessert outlets
• convenience stores
• shops that offer adult or sexual content
• businesses that carry out activities for political, religious or charitable purposes

It is free to apply.

Renfrewshire Council will cover up to 50% of the eligible costs, up to a maximum of £25,000. You'll have to cover any remaining costs through other sources.

The grant will be paid out after the project has been completed and the supplier has been paid. This means that you'll need to be able to afford the project’s full cost upfront until you receive the grant.

You should not spend money on project-related costs until you've received a formal decision on your grant application.

Small to medium-sized businesses moving into empty, ground-floor commercial premises in town centres across Renfrewshire, including Paisley, Johnstone, Renfrew, Linwood and Erskine.

The Town Centre Premises Grant can be applied for all year round.

Once your complete application is received, a member of Renfrewshire Council's business development team will be in touch within 14 working days to discuss your application. A decision will be made shortly after this discussion.

You should not spend money on project-related costs until you've received a formal decision on your grant application.

The grant will be paid out after the project has been completed and you submit evidence that your suppliers have been paid – for example, spend invoices and corresponding bank statements.

Visit the Renfrewshire Council website for full details and to apply.