High Streets Matter Grant Funding Eligibility

What Costs Can Be Funded?

The grant is intended to support business improvement through investment in projects that create lasting

benefits for the business. In most cases, supported expenditure will be capital investment that helps improve

productivity, efficiency, customer experience or long-term business performance.

Examples of Eligible Costs

 Equipment, plant and machinery that improve productivity, efficiency or business performance.

 Equipment, technology and systems that are essential to delivering the project.

 Specialist external IT or marketing support that directly contributes to the project's objectives.

 Improvements to customer-facing premises, including interior and exterior enhancements as well as

signage that improve customer experience.

 Other capital expenditure that is clearly required to deliver the approved project.

 Where a vehicle is requested, applicants must provide evidence that the vehicle is a specialist commercial

unit and that it will be used predominantly for business trading purposes. The assessment panel reserves

the right to determine eligibility on a case-by-case basis.

What Costs Cannot Be Funded?

 VAT, unless it is non-recoverable.

 Any costs incurred before a grant offer has been issued.

 General business running costs, including wages, salaries, rent, utilities, energy costs, business rates and

insurance.

 Stock purchases, consumables and routine operating expenditure.

 Existing contractual commitments or ongoing business costs.

 Items that are not directly required to deliver the proposed project.

 Costs that primarily benefit a private individual, personal premises or personal assets.

 The purchase of cars, vans, motorcycles or other transport vehicles. Funding may only be considered for

specialist commercial vehicles where the vehicle itself is the primary place of trade or is fundamental to the

delivery of the business's products or services (for example, pizza vans, food trucks or mobile catering

units).

 Expenditure funded through hire purchase, asset finance or similar finance arrangements.

Important Conditions

 The project must be ready to proceed, with all necessary permissions, approvals and consents already in

place.

 Expenditure must not be incurred until a formal grant offer has been issued and accepted.

 All project costs must be paid in full by the business from its business bank account before a grant claim is

submitted.

 Applicants must be able to provide evidence of expenditure and payment.

 Applicants much submit their claim documents to us within 12 weeks of the date of their offer letter.

 Expenditure funded through hire purchase, asset finance or similar finance arrangements is not eligible.