Independent retailers in Crawley can now apply for a grant to improve their shop fronts.

Eligible businesses in the town centre can apply for up to £5000 as part of the Shop Front and High Street improvement Programme.

To be eligible to apply for a grant, businesses must:

• be registered with HMRC and Companies House
• pass due diligence checks undertaken by council officers
• have a physical shop premises in Crawley
• be a small independent business with a maximum of 50 employees
• not be part of a regional, national or international chain or franchise
• have security of tenure for the premises and provide evidence to prove this
• not propose inappropriate physical shop front improvements if the premises is located in designated conservation areas

Applications that demonstrate they will result in the delivery of environmental benefits, for example a reduction in carbon emissions, will be afforded extra weighting during the evaluation process.

A due diligence and evaluation process will be undertaken on all applications. Grants offered are subject to meeting eligibility criteria, fulfilling the aims of the scheme and a subsidy control declaration.