Pride In Place: Shopfront Improvement Grant Scheme

Hartlepool Borough Council, in partnership with the Hartlepool Board, has launched a new Business Improvement Capital Grant Scheme to support the revitalisation and visual enhancement of key high street areas within the borough.

The scheme will offer grants of up to £20,000 to eligible businesses, with applicants required to provide a minimum 25% match funding contribution. The programme is designed to support improvements that enhance the appearance, quality and overall vibrancy of these important retail corridors.

The scheme is open to eligible businesses located in:

  • Raby Road (from Wharton Terrace)
  • York Road
  • Stockton Road (ending Oxford Street/Oxford Road)

A map of the areas identified above can be downloaded here

The grant scheme is being funded by UK Government as part of the Pride in Place Impact Fund. It will be administrated by Hartlepool Borough Council.

The Shopfront Improvement Grant Scheme is capital-only which means physical works and any professional fees related to these.  Works could include:

  • External shopfront improvements: fascia/signage, doors, pilasters/cornices, stallrisers, repainting, lighting, canopies/awnings, integrated shutters with perforated or internal solutions), glazing repair/replacement, roof repair/replacement
  • Professional fees such as planning consents/building regulations, architect fees and project management fees.

Applications open from 1st April 2026 and can be submitted by either the business occupier or the property owner/ landlord, provided the project meets the programme’s criteria.

Applications will be assessed monthly on a competitive basis.

Please note – any activities involving betting/gaming, politics, faith/religion, pornography and clairvoyancy are not eligible to apply.

If you are interested in applying for a grant and would like to find out more, please complete the enquiry form in the first instance.