Renfrewshire Council

Business grants and loans

Business loans, restart and resilience grants, creative business hubs, digital development grant, net zero grant, new business start-ups, retail shopfronts improvement grant, training grants, town centre premises grant.

On this page:

Applying for a business grant

For more information about applying for any of the grants, loans and funding schemes listed on this web page, call our Business Gateway team on 0141 530 2406 or email renfrewshire@bgateway.com.


Business Loans Scotland

Business Loans Scotland is a consortium of Scotland's 32 local authorities, providing loan finance up to £100,000 to new and growing small and medium sized businesses across Scotland.

Visit the Business Loans Scotland website for details.


Business Resilience Grant

The Business Resilience Grant is part-funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and provides up to a 50 percent match-funded grant from £1,000 up to £10,000 to support small and medium sized businesses, including people self-employed, in meeting changed objectives and plans for growth. 

This includes purchase of new equipment, property expansion or improvements or the costs to exhibit or develop new products and processes.

The grant can't be used towards employee wages, vehicles, general purchase of stock or routine maintenance. To qualify for support, the business must operate from a commercial premise in Renfrewshire.

Apply for a Business Resilience Grant


Business Restart Loan

The Business Restart Loan offers small and start-up businesses and people self-employed with interest free loans between £1,000 to £5,000 repayable up to three years, to help with short-term cashflow. The loans are provided through partnership with Right Way Credit Union.

Apply for a Business Restart Loan


Creative Business Hubs

Encouraging creative companies in Renfrewshire to co-locate and collaborate, the Creative Business Hub fund subsidises the costs of the leaseholder and other businesses locating in a hub. A Creative Hub is led by one business offering locating businesses related services such as hotdesking, studio space, workshops, mentoring, retailing and research.


Digital Development Grant

This grant supports businesses in Renfrewshire to develop and implement new digital systems that will improve business performance and enable business growth. Grants of £1,000 - £10,000 are available to support up to 50% of eligible expenditure.

This discretionary grant can support digital projects which are new to the business. To qualify, you must operate from a commercial premise in Renfrewshire.

Apply for a Digital Development Grant


Net Zero Grant

Small and medium sized businesses in Renfrewshire can apply for a grant providing up to 50 percent funding up to £10,000 to make changes to their business premises and operations to reduce their carbon footprint.

This includes moving to a low carbon heating system or using solar powered energy, but the grant cannot be used on existing systems, carbon-offsetting or on consultant fees or staff costs.

The online application requires businesses to provide their baseline carbon footprint with handy guides on how to do this available from Scottish Enterprise and helpful free online training from Business Energy Scotland.

Apply for the Net Zero Grant


New Business Start-Up Grant

The New Business Start-Up Grant helps towards the start-up costs for a new business.

To be eligible for this grant, the new business should be working with our Business Gateway advisors and attend at least three of our start-up workshops.

This grant provides support up to 50 percent of costs from £300 up to £1,000 and can be used towards rent, business equipment, IT needs and website development, but it cannot be spent on wages.

All purchases must be made through a business bank account, supported by supplier invoices, with the grant paid once purchases are complete and payments have been made to suppliers.
 


Retail Improvement Scheme grants for shop fronts

You can apply for a grant to repair, improve, upgrade, or restore the front of your shop, business, or commercial premises in Renfrewshire.

Find out more about the Retail Improvement Scheme grant


Training Grant

Manufacturers and business-to-business companies can access a training grant, providing up to £2,000 towards the costs of staff training for a specific business development project being delivered by an external training provider.

Compliance and routine training is not supported through this grant, with the grant paid once the training is completed and the training provider has been paid.


Town Centre Premises Grant

The grant can help businesses move into empty, ground-floor commercial premises in Paisley, Johnstone, Renfrew, Linwood or Erskine town centres.

You could get a grant of up to 50% of your project costs, up to a maximum of £25,000.

Find out more about the Town Centre Premises Grant