Business and licensing

The grant can help businesses move into empty, ground-floor commercial premises in town centres across Renfrewshire, including:

• Paisley
• Johnstone
• Renfrew
• Linwood
• Erskine.

You could get a grant of up to 50% of your project costs.

The maximum amount is £25,000.

Who can apply 

You can apply for the grant if you:

• are a small-to-medium sized business (you have less than 250 employees worldwide)
• are a full-time business with a business bank account
• will operate from a previously vacant ground floor town centre commercial property in Paisley, Renfrew, Johnstone, Linwood or Erskine
• have or will take out a lease of at least 36 months (3 full years) on the premises
• are the only business named on the lease or rental agreement
• have a current lease for another property and will continue to trade from there for at least 2 years after you start trading from your new property
• offer a product or service that's different or not available already in the area.

You can be an established business, have just started your business or be about to start a business.

Who cannot apply

You can't apply if:

• you're a community group, voluntary group or charitable organisation
• you're in debt to the Council
• your business is bankrupt or in liquidation.

See what funding and grants are available for charities, social enterprises, community and voluntary groups.

The following types of businesses are excluded from applying:

• multi-level marketing or pyramid selling businesses
• franchises where the franchiser has control over the business decisions
• betting shops
• pawnbrokers
• beauty industry businesses, such as nail bars, aesthetics clinics, hairdressers, or barbers
• amusement or gaming arcades
• tobacconists or vape shops
• most fast-food and dessert outlets
• convenience stores
• shops that offer adult or sexual content
• businesses or activities for political, religious or charitable purposes.

What you can use the grant for

You can use the grant for:

• improving the premises
• fixtures, fittings, or equipment
• security equipment and installation
• business stationery
• advertising and marketing
• rent
• planning permission or building regulation fees
• insurance premiums.

What you cannot use the grant for

You cannot use the grant for:

• buying vehicles
• employee wages
• utility bills.

If you've seen an empty town centre property you'd like to use for your business, get in touch with us.

Or if you haven't got a specific property in mind, we can help you find a suitable place for your business.

If we match you with a suitable premises and your business is eligible for the grant, you can start the formal grant application process.

You'll need to complete an application form and provide us with:

• recent annual accounts if you're an established business
• an up-to-date business plan
• at least two years' financial forecasts - such as profit and loss, balance sheet, cash flow forecast
• the quotes for what you will use the grant for. 

When we receive all your paperwork, we'll arrange a meeting with you to discuss your application. 

We'll let you know within 2 weeks if your application was successful. If it is, we'll make a formal grant offer to you.

The grant is discretionary, and we reserve the right to decline applications that don't meet the grant objectives. Our decision is final and is not subject to appeal. 

Conditions of the grant

The grant is intended to support your business to trade from a new property. It's not intended to be the main source of funding for your new venture.

You should not begin your project until we have approved your grant. We cannot award the grant for works or expenses you've paid for before we've approved your grant application.

You must pay approved expenses through your business bank account and have supplier invoices to support this. You cannot claim expenses for cash payments to suppliers.

We'll give you the grant when your payments for expenses and suppliers have been completed.

The Retail Improvement Scheme (RIS) is a grant that you can apply for to repair, improve, upgrade, or restore the front of your shop, business, or commercial premises in Renfrewshire.

Improvements to your shop front or premises will benefit both your business and the area where it's located.

You can apply for the grant if:

• you are the owner or leaseholder of a business or commercial premises
• your business or premises is in a retail area or a town centre in Renfrewshire.

Types of businesses or premises include:

• shops
• hairdressers and beauty salons
• cafes
• restaurants
• public houses
• professional or financial services
• tourism and leisure facilities.

You usually can't apply for the grant if:

• your business forms part of a chain - it has three or more outlets
• your business turnover was more than £1m in the previous tax year
• you previously got an RIS grant from us for the same property in the last 3 years
• the property can't be accessed directly from public roads, streets, or ways
• you have an unpaid or outstanding debt with the Council.

However, we will consider each application on an individual basis.

Grants are generally for ground floor improvements only.

You can use the grant for:

• installing a new fascia - these are the horizontal boards that run around the edge of the building's roof
  new signage and lighting
• repainting the outside of your premises
• refurbishment or replacement of the shop or building frontage
• security grilles or shutters
• front of sales areas near the entrance or behind the front windows - we will assess each application for this individually.

What you cannot use the grant for

You cannot use the grant for:

• works you've already started or finished
• solid roller shutters or those with projecting external mechanisms
• moveable items - for example, stock, motor vehicles, furniture
• trade fittings like pipes, plumbing or utilities
• most internal work, for example, plastering internal walls, installing or upgrading a kitchen
• roof repairs
• paying VAT on any works or project
• fees for any necessary statutory consents.

Using the grant for roller shutters

If you've applied for a grant to install or upgrade roller shutters, we will recommend one of the following: 

We use a scoring system to assess which kind of shutter or glazing is most appropriate for your premises.  

You can't use the grant to install solid shutters or shutters with projecting external mechanisms.

If you already have these kinds of shutters, you can use the grant to upgrade to one of the types of shutters listed above. 

How much you could get

The grant could be up to 70% of the cost of improvements, depending on the size and scale of the work, and the benefits of making the improvements. 

The amount awarded is a minimum of £1,000 up to £12,000. We don't usually award more than this.

We apply a scoring system to determine if you will get the grant and how much you will get. 

You should contact us before you apply to discuss your ideas for the property. We'll give you guidance on eligibility, what supporting information you need and how long it will take to process your application. 

You should have a clear idea of the extent of works to be undertaken and the likely cost, either from estimates or professional advice. 

Email us with your ideas or questions at ris@renfrewshire.gov.uk. 

We will visit your premises to discuss your proposal for the grant. 

When you are ready to apply online, you will need to include:

• plans or scaled drawings
• current photos of the premises, shop front  or building detail
• at least 3 itemised quotes for each piece of work
• evidence of who owns the property
• any required planning permissions and consents

Plans and scaled drawings

You'll need to submit plans or scaled drawings with your grant application. 

Your drawings:

• must be to scale and show elevation frontage and a cross-section of the property
• should show the building as it is and how it will look after the proposed work is done
• must make clear what work will be done and they correspond to the specification of works and quotes for the work.

If you need help with your drawings, you can get an architect or a shopfront contractor to design them for you.

Photos

We'll need current photos of the premises, shop front  or building detail. If you are using a camera enabled device (such as a phone or tablet), you can use the camera to take pictures of your evidence.

Planning and building consent

When you apply for the scheme, you will need to provide written confirmation that any planning permission or building consents have been granted, or if they are not required. 

Before you start any works on your premises or shop front, you should consider if your project:

• needs planning permission or advertisement consent
• needs a building warrant
• is in a listed building (Historic Environment Scotland website) and needs listed building consent
• is in one of Renfrewshire’s conservation areas.

Contact the:

• Development Management team for advice about planning and advertising consent at dc@renfrewshire.gov.uk or call 0300 300 0144
• Building Standards team about building standards and listed buildings advice at bc@renfrewshire.gov.uk or call 0300 300 0144.

You can apply for the grant even if your planning permission application is in progress.

See the guidance on: 

• displaying advertisements and signage
• altering historic shopfronts and signs on the Historic Environment Scotland website.

Quotes for costs

For each type of work, you'll need three itemised quotes for each type of work. This could be sign replacement, shutter installation or restoration of building details for example. 

You might find it useful to prepare a scope of works for potential contractors when you are asking them for quotes.

Make sure your quotes are from legitimate contractors or suppliers. Where possible, get quotes from local contractors based in Renfrewshire.

Ownership or leaseholder information

You must include evidence of who owns the property, or a formal lease, with your application.

If you lease the property, you must also have written consent from the owner to do the proposed works.

Data protection

We need to collect certain information to process your grant application and to contact you about it. 

See our privacy policy on how we use your data and your rights.

You can apply online for the Retail Improvement Scheme (RIS) grant from Monday 7 April 2025.

Apply for an RIS grant

If you can't apply by the closing date, contact us at ris@renfrewshire.gov.uk if you would like to be considered for the next round. 

We’ll let you know by email when you can apply for the next round of grants. 

Contact us at ris@renfrewshire.gov.uk if you would like to be considered for the next round of grants. 

We'll let you know by email when you can apply again.

Applications for the Retail Improvement Scheme (RIS) closed on Friday 17 October 2025.

If you did not apply by the closing date, contact us at ris@renfrewshire.gov.uk if you would like to be considered for the next round of grants. We'll let you know by email when you can apply again.

If you applied by the closing date, we will review your application and let you know our decision by email. You'll hear from us within several weeks of the closing date.

We'll decide on your proposal based on the scoring system.

We'll consider your application based equally on the impact it will have and the quality of the proposed works. 

The impact includes:

• the streetscape - if it will have a positive impact on the surrounding propertie
• the status of the building - if the property is occupied or vacant and how long it's been vacant
• location - if the property in an established retail area
• how prominent it is - if it is visible from a civic space, if it's a corner unit, or it's of historical importance
• if you have asked local contractors for quotes.

The quality is based on:

• the quality and standard of the design
• the scale - if the proportions are appropriate to the building and surrounds
• any features of interest or character that will be retained, restored, or included
• the appearance, choice of materials, and colours
• how the shop or building security will be arranged or improved.

Provisional approval

If we approve your application on principle, we'll make a provisional offer setting out the conditions of the grant and the potential amount of money you could get. 

If we can't offer you a grant at this time, we'll consider your application again later, providing there is still funding available. 

Conditions of the grant

We can't award the grant until you've met all the conditions of the offer.

You must make sure you have:

• all the relevant planning permissions or building consent, in line with the approved grant scheme
• enough money to be able to pay contractors in full before they start any work.

Payment of the grant

We will pay the grant when the works have been completed to a satisfactory standard, following an inspection by us, and you have sent us:

• proof of payment to the contractor by bank or building society transfer (BACS)
• the receipted invoice from the contractor or contractors doing the work
• evidence of all necessary planning permissions or building consent, or written confirmation that these are not needed.

We'll make the payments to your nominated bank or building society account. 

We can't award the grant for cash payments to suppliers or contractors. 

If you're using internet banking, make sure this information from your online bank statement is clearly identifiable on every page: 

• name of your bank
• your name
• your bank account number and sort code
• the debit, credit, and balance columns
• name of the supplier, or suppliers, and the amounts paid to them
• the footer showing the web page.

We can only accept proof of original receipts or statements. We cannot accept screenshots.

You can scan and send us your:

• original receipts
• print outs of your bank statements.

If we have all the relevant information with your completed application for payment, we aim to pay you within 28 days of receiving your application. 

Interim payments

We can only make up to two interim payments of the grant.

You'll need to provide us with proof of payment, invoices and any required planning permission outlined above for each for interim payment request.

If you need to make an interim payment towards materials for the work, we may be able to give you up to 25% of the cost of the materials. 

Any other interim payments can only be paid towards work done on the site. This will not be more than 90% of the remaining amount of your grant. 

If you need a building warrant for the work, we will pay the final 10% of the grant when we get a completion certificate from you.

When the work is completed

Your project must be completed: 

• to what was agreed when you were awarded the grant
• with any statutory consents that were required for the work. 

You'll also need to provide us with evidence that the contractor or contractors have been invoiced and paid, as set out in the payment of the grant.

You must send us the receipts for this work as set out in the terms and conditions of the grant.

If you have any delays or difficulties sending us evidence of completion, let us know at ris@renfrewshire.gov.uk. 

How it works

1. Visit the Town and City Gift Cards website
2. Select a purchase type, gift card value and card type
3. Send the gift card to the person you want to treat or reward.

You can also buy a gift card or pick one up to load later at:
Paisley First
1 County Place
Paisley
PA1 1BN

Where to spend your gift card

150 businesses across Renfrewshire currently accept the Renfrewshire Gift Card.

It can be used for:

• shopping
• food and drink
• health and beauty
• leisure and attractions
• services.

View a map and list of all retailers on the Town and City Gift Cards website.

Add your business

Businesses interested in accepting the gift card can sign up on the Town and City Gift Cards website.
 

Spend Local toolkit for businesses

Renfrewshire is home to many fantastic businesses. We can all support them by choosing to spend local.

Around 70p from every pound spent local, stays local.

Print and display a poster, a set of flyers or window/door stickers. We've set these up so you can print in your own premises.

It’s a gift card you can spend with 150 businesses across Renfrewshire.

You can buy a physical card or an e-card, choose a gift card value and then share the gift card with someone you want to treat.

You can buy as an individual and treat friends or family; or you can buy as a business and use for corporate gifting or rewarding.

With energy bills and operating costs on the rise, it's becoming more expensive than ever to produce carbon emissions.

Assess your energy usage, review where you source your energy from, and install energy efficiency measures - and the average small-to-medium-sized enterprise could reduce energy bills by 18-25% and reduce their overall carbon footprint.

The Net Zero Business Grant is open to small and medium-sized businesses, including social enterprises, which meet all of the following criteria:

• the applicant is a full-time business and has a business bank account
• the business operates from commercial premises within the Renfrewshire Council area, for which there is a signed lease, rental, or licence agreement in place
• at the time of submitting the grant application, the business is neither in bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar.

This grant is not available to community groups or not-for-profit, voluntary, or charitable organisations.

Applications to this fund are limited to 1 application per business. We will not consider subsequent applications at this time.

You'll need to provide:

• an up to date business plan
• your most recent annual accounts (if applicable) or up to date management accounts
• quotes
• baseline emissions.

If a full business plan is not available, a mini business plan consisting of a 1-page summary of the company setting out its plans for the future is sufficient.

Submit an online application explaining why external financial assistance from Renfrewshire Council is necessary to enable the project to proceed.

Apply for a Net Zero Business Grant

Once we receive your application, we'll review the application against assessment criteria and will be in touch to discuss your application. We'll make our decision shortly after this meeting and, if you're successful, we'll formally offer you the grant.

Net Zero Accelerator

Scottish Enterprise's Net Zero Accelerator is a simple online tool. Businesses can use it to assess their efforts to achieve net zero carbon emissions and help build their net zero action plan.

Register with Scottish Enterprise to use Net Zero Accelerator.

Find out about loans and grants available for businesses in Renfrewshire.

Business Development Grant

The Business Development Grant is a competitive, discretionary fund, part funded by the UK Local Growth Fund, providing up to 50% match funding from £1,000 to £10,000 to help small and medium sized businesses in Renfrewshire deliver their growth plans.

This includes the purchase of equipment or digital systems which are new to the business, property improvements or expansion, export development, exhibition costs, and the creation of new products or processes.

This grant is to support business growth by helping businesses implement projects which increase turnover and employment through improvements in productivity, competitiveness or innovation.

It cannot be used for vehicles, wages, stock, general purchases, or routine maintenance, and projects must not begin before an application is submitted. To be eligible, businesses must operate from a commercial premises within Renfrewshire.

Apply for a Business Development 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

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. See the guides on how to measure your carbon footprint (Scottish Enterprise ) and helpful free online training from Business Energy Scotland.

Apply for a Net Zero Grant

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.

Start-Up Street

Read more about the low-cost business incubator, accommodation and business support for up to two years for early stage and start-up businesses, Start-Up Street.

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.

Help to apply for a business grant or loan

For more information about applying for any of the grants, loans and funding schemes listed you can contact our Business Gateway team.

You can contact us if you need to talk to us about your Business Improvement District (BID) levy for Paisley town centre, including billing and querying the charges.

Before you contact us, you can:

• find out more about the Paisley town centre Business Improvement District (BID), including the ballot information
• view the BID area (Paisley First).

It helps if you can give us your BID reference number (find it at the top of your most recent bill).

Use the business rates online form to contact us. Select the option to 'Make a General Enquiry - BID (Business improvement District) - Paisley First'.

Contact us about BID

You can download the latest list of Renfrewshire organisations receiving business rates relief.

We need to know if a business property has a new tenant. This is so we can charge the new tenant, not the old tenant, for the property’s future business rates.

Either the new tenant or the property’s owner needs to tell us about the change in tenancy.

You should decide between you which one of you will tell us about the change in ownership. There’s no need for both of you to tell us.

Tell us about a change of tenancy for business rates

We need to know if a business property has been sold to a new owner. This is so we can charge the new owner, not the old owner, for the property’s future business rates.

Either the property’s buyer or seller needs to tell us about the change in ownership.

You should decide between you which one of you will tell us about the change in ownership. There’s no need for both of you to tell us.

Tell us about a change of ownership for business rates