Moray Town Centre Business Grants scheme open

A Town Centre Capital Grant Scheme with funding of £268,000 is available for town centres in Aberlour, Buckie, Dufftown, Elgin, Forres, Keith, and Lossiemouth.

The fund administered by Moray Council aims to support existing and new businesses and encourage the redevelopment and reuse of vacant properties.

It is open to applications for grants of up to £50,000 from eligible businesses, property owners, and tenants looking to convert an empty property into residential or business use, relocate to an alternative property, sub-divide an existing building, start-up a new business, or make improvements to shopfronts, signage and lighting within the eligible town centres.

Moray Council’s Chair of the Economic Development and Infrastructure Services Committee, Cllr Marc Macrae, said the Town Centre Capital Grant Scheme will allow the council to help support the varied needs of businesses across Moray.

“Our town centre businesses continue to face a challenging environment. The flexibility of the funding will allow us to target our support to those who need it most as we focus our efforts on improving the attractiveness of our town centres.”

What funding is available?

The scheme offers grants of up to 50% of the eligible costs so the grant awarded would be up to a maximum of £50,000 or 50% of the eligible costs, whichever is the lesser amount, therefore match-funding of at least 50% will be required from the property owner or tenant.

What can the funding be spent on?

The purpose of the funding is to support existing and new businesses, encourage the redevelopment and reuse of vacant properties to support town centre living and improve the attractiveness of the town centres.   

Moray Council is welcoming grant applications that meet the criteria in any of the following 5 categories:

1. Transforming Empty Space (eg converting empty property into residential* or business space within a Town Centre)
2. Support businesses to relocate to an alternative vacant property (increasing or decreasing capacity) within a Town Centre
3. To support sub-division or expansion of existing buildings within a Town Centre (eg split one large shop into two smaller shops or expansion of current premises)
4. To support new business start-up within a Town Centre
5. To support businesses to make improvements to shopfronts, properties, signage (eg heritage signage on walls and lanes) and lighting (eg decorative and security lighting) within a Town Centre to improve the attractiveness of the business and encourage people to shop local and to create greater footfall

* In some town centres converting to residential on a ground floor will not be acceptable.

How can I apply for funding?

Apply here >> Application Form (once completed please make sure you save this form onto your computer) and send it to localdevelopmentplan@moray.gov.uk or post it to Strategic Planning and Development, Room 207A, Moray Council HQ, High St, Elgin, Moray, IV30 1BX by Monday 08 January 2024.