Town Centre Retail Business Fund

Applications should be developed and submitted jointly between landlord and tenant.

Businesses can apply for up to a maximum award amount of £20,000 per premise. Grant funding is only available for up to 50% of eligible net costs. This means applicants must secure the remaining 50% (or more) through private sector funding, plus VAT and delivery costs. Only one application per premise may be submitted over the scheme duration.

Initial engagement  

Applicants and Landlord’s identified business tenants must engage with a Business Gateway Lanarkshire Adviser. They will discuss the project which the applicant wishes to apply for funding. The Business Gateway Adviser will help the applicant identify the potential funding opportunities and determine whether the Town Centre Retail Fund would be appropriate funding programme.  

Eligibility 

To apply for the Town Centre Retail Business Fund you must meet the following requirements. 

• The retail property must be located in the following town centre areas: Airdrie, Bellshill, Coatbridge, Cumbernauld, Kilsyth, Motherwell, Shotts or Wishaw (consideration will also be given to outlying retail cluster areas).
• The premise location must be viable and not subject to known future change which may impact beyond the required minimum lease term (12 months).
• Property details: the retail property must be on the ground floor and have been vacant for a minimum of three months. 

The Town Centre Retail Business Fund is paid retrospectively. This means, that following a successful award, the applicant will need to pay out money upfront and then reclaim the grant money afterwards.

To apply for the Town Centre Retail Fund you must be actively working with a Business Gateway Adviser. Funding panels to decide on grant application outcomes are held monthly. A date schedule is available from your Adviser. Please note that the deadline for submitting applications will be Friday 18 December 2026.

For information on how to apply and to discuss your enquiry in more detail, please contact Business Gateway Lanarkshire on 01698 520775 or email lanarkshire@bgateway.com

Further information 

Please refer to the Town Centre Retail Fund Guidance document below to see if you are eligible for funding.

Grants awarded under the Town Centre Retail Business Fund are considered to be a subsidy under the Subsidy Control Act (2022), and if successful will be awarded under the North Lanarkshire Town Centre Retail Business Grants Subsidy Scheme, SC11391.

This project is funded by the UK Government through the Pride in Place Impact Fund.