Future Investment Grant in detail

Grant aid will be prioritised to encourage new business into Lisburn City Centre. Priority will be given to new businesses that are currently not represented in our urban centres or business that will help to support the night time economy.

The scheme will assist new businesses who are interested in setting up in Lisburn City Centre and existing businesses who wish to expand, repurpose and diversify their premises or part thereof to adapt their business. It is important that improvements carried out within this scheme are appropriate to the character of the urban area they sit within, and a high standard of materials and workmanship are used. 

The aim of the Future Investment Grant is to:

• improve the commercial offer in the Lisburn City Centre by reducing the current vacancy rates and attracting new businesses into the centre
• support existing businesses who wish to expand or diversify their current offer by providing financial assistance.
• support new businesses who wish to open in Lisburn City Centre, by offering financial assistance

Award of the grant will be at our discretion.

Whilst we recognise that all business types have their place on the high street, over concentration of certain types of shops make the centres less appealing to both visitors and investors. This scheme is to encourage new business types and activities which will improve the perception of the area and increase footfall. 

Non eligible businesses include (but are not limited to):

• pay day loan shops
• betting/ gambling shops
• charity shops
• pawn shops
• vape shops
• adult shops
• budget/pound shops
• temporary shops

Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 requires public authorities in Northern Ireland to consider how their work can promote equality of opportunity and good relations.

This means taking steps to promote equality of opportunity between:

• persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital status or sexual orientation
• men and women
• persons with a disability and persons without
• persons with dependants and persons without

We will not consider applications from applicants that:  

• discriminate against Section 75 groupings 
• are businesses which have been in deficit for the last two financial years without a justifiable reason  
• relate to land or property which is to be, or could be sold, within 12 months from the receipt of final payment of grant aid. Where an award under this scheme has been offered and paid out by the council, the full grant must be repaid 
• have submitted another application to this scheme 
• social enterprises

In addition, we will not consider applications for projects which:  

• are located outside the defined boundary
• include or relate to repairs, improvements or construction of your own home / private dwelling
• are unable to provide most recent audited accounts from the previous three financial years (as relevant to applicant)
• do not meet the objectives of the scheme
• have already taken place or are already under way prior to an offer of funding and permission to start notice being issued
• are deemed to be commercially unsustainable
• are of a party political nature
• promote a particular religion
• are contrary to Council policy

What can you apply for? 

This is a capital scheme only. There is no funding towards revenue costs such as training, IT/e-business and marketing expenditure. The funding allocation will be subject to change based on the number of eligible applications received. Successful businesses will be required to match fund a minimum of 20% of the total costs excluding any VAT or Fees incurred.

The level of funding is allocated based on business footprint.  The following three packages are available.

• for businesses with a footprint of less than 100 square metres the grant will be up to £10,000 which the business must match fund by at least 20%. This measurement does not include storerooms, kitchens or bathrooms
• for businesses with a footprint of between 100 and 150 square metres the grant will be up to £20,000, which the business must match fund by at least 20%. This measurement does not include storerooms, kitchens or bathrooms
• for businesses with a footprint of 151 square metres and over the grant will be up to £30,000, which the business must match fund by at least 20%. This measurement does not include storerooms, kitchens or bathrooms

Programme criteria - what we will and will not fund

The Future Investment Grant will fund:

• works to frontage of the unit(s), interior refurbishment works and/or utilising previous unused space to repurpose the business i.e. a second or third floor space.
• improvement works to vacant unit(s) which are required to improve the building and allow a business to commence trading.
• replacement of doors/ windows/flooring, electrical works, plumbing works, minor construction works such as knocking down walls/ roof repairs etc. i.e. any works required to allow a business to commence/continue trading may be considered. 
• internal modifications to vacant properties which includes shop fit-out, subdivision of, internal decorations, flooring, mechanical and electrical works with a view to improving the vacant property (works must be approved by property owner)
• external facades and signage
• maintenance works to include removal of redundant signage, cleaning (power washing), clearing of debris and repairs of decorative features.

The Future Investment Grant will not fund:

• any costs or projects which are clearly another statutory agency’s responsibility
• insurance costs
• interest / banking fees
• rates
• projects situated outside Lisburn City Centre 
• costs incurred prior to a letter of offer from us (retrospective funding)
• costs which are not clearly linked to the project
• costs that are assessed as poor value for money, or that are purchased not following our procurement guidelines
• costs that are already covered by other funding or income sources
• VAT related cost
• planning, legal costs
• costs which are deemed excessive.
• cash expenditure will not be eligible for refund

Completion of an expression of interest (EOI) form is mandatory for anyone considering applying for a grant. We will assess the information provided at EOI to decide whether or not to invite applicants to submit a grant application.

The grant has a limited budget, and grants will be made through a competitive process. The scheme is limited to one application per applicant.

EOI eligibility criteria

EOI responses will be evaluated using a two-stage process. Responses will have to demonstrate how they met the eligibility criteria at stage A, before proceeding to be scored against the EOI assessment criteria in stage B.

EOI eligibility criteria stage A

The following eligibility criteria is assessed on a pass / fail basis as part of the evaluation process – the property must be located within the areas of consideration as set out below.

• Market Square
• Market Street
• Castle Street
• Railway Street
• Bridge Street
• Bow Street
• Antrim Street

EOI assessment criteria stage B

All applications that PASS the above eligibility criteria will then be assessed using the following six key objectives:

• attracting further investment into Lisburn City Centre
• increase footfall to the city centre
• address dereliction
• contribute to the evening economy
• improve the city centre retail/hospitality offering.
• increase the opportunity for city centre living as part of a wider mixed-use scheme.

Expressions of interest applications will then be ranked in order of score. The highest-ranking applications will be  invited by email to move forward to grant application.

Applications may be held on a reserve list to be considered at a later stage if additional funding becomes available.