Business Facade Improvement Program

Grants will be available to small to medium businesses to enhance their street appeal. To be eligible for funding, applicant must:

• Have an active Australian Business Number (ABN).
• Not be an Australian Charity, Not-for-Profit (NFP), political or religious organisation.
• Be located within a commercial / township area of the municipality that has street frontage.
• Be a property owner or tenant with a lease agreement (with a minimum of one year remaining). If applicant is leasing, building owners’ consent must be obtained.
• Proposed works must be approved by Council and be in line with design guidelines and heritage streetscapes (where applicable).
• Submit all required information with completed application form to be considered.
• Improvements works to be undertaken by local trades / businesses where possible.
• Projects must be on private property and not on or impacting public assets such as nature strips, footpaths, garden beds, etc. Façade Improvement Program Guidelines
• Project cannot start prior to program launch date with expected completion within 6 months of successful notification.
• Only one grant awarded per property.
• Successful recipients can’t reapply for funding for a period of 3 years.
• Not be a current Council employee, contractor, Councillor and/or their immediate family member. Council reserves the right to review this on a case-by-case basis.

Meeting the eligibility criteria is not a guarantee of funding. The decision made by Council is final. Council will not be responsible for any expenses incurred because of an applicant’s anticipation of successful funding.

Eligible works

• Repainting of building facade and windows
• Installation/upgrade of business signage
• Renewal of exterior lighting or awning/structure
• Digital displays
• Repair or replacements of verandas
• Improvements to frontages (eg. servery windows, bi-fold doors or large windows) - excluding security screens and doors
• Cleaning of existing facade and removal of redundant signage/air conditioning units or hoardings
• Minor repairs, maintenance or reinstatement of missing elements of the facade
• Limited permanent interior improvements (if visible from the exterior)

Non-funded activities

• General business expenses such as wages, rent, insurance etc
• Security system such as locks, CCTV, security doors, grills, roller doors etc
• Any works carried out inside the property
• Non fixed items such as A-frame signage, planters, tables, chairs, moveable lights, heaters, etc
• Any activity applied for without a supporting written quotation
• Costs associated with permits, licences or any other similar expense payable to Swan Hill Rural City Council, State or Federal government bodies
• Any works that have been completed or have already commenced prior to the outcomes of the application being advised

Guidelines - Business Facade Improvement Program(PDF, 150KB)

Owner consent letter template(DOCX, 23KB)

• Smarty Grants - Help guide for applicants

If you require further assistance please call our Development Support Office on 03 5036 2333.