Town and Village Regeneration Scheme

Purpose and Funding

The Scheme works in five parts:

1. External improvements and civic amenity projects

This part of the Scheme can offer 50% up to £25,000 for the following: -

1. a) To improve the external appearance of properties such as:

• Access – Doors, automatic doors and ramps etc;
• Signage;
• Shop fronts;
• Lighting schemes;
• Painting and rendering;
• Windows; and
• Any other measures at the Department’s discretion.

1. b) To develop civic amenities though visual improvements, facilities, points of interest and improvement to public areas such as:

• Lighting;
• Access;
• Public art;
• Planting;
• Signage;
• Seating; and
• Any other measures at the Department’s discretion.

2. Internal accessibility improvement projects

To improve accessibility within existing properties applicants can receive 50% of the cost up to £25,000, items supported include: -

• Permanent modifications including (but not limited to) signage, handrails, step edges, door handles, automatic doors, ramps, lifts, lighting, contrasting floor coverings, stair lifts and other accessible facilities;
• Specialist furniture, counter or room inductions loops; and
• Other reasonable accessibility adjustments at the Department’s discretion.

These works can be undertaken in occupied or unoccupied premises.

3. Internal works to vacant business units

This part of the Scheme can offer 50% up to £25,000 to eligible businesses and organisations to improve the internal function and appearance of vacant units to open as a business to serve the local economy. Eligible works such as the following may be supported: -

• Professional fees;
• Plumbing and electrical works;
• Permanent modifications including (but not limited to) installation of walls and storage etc;
• Service counters;
• Shelving and racking;
• Signage;
• Technology such as payment terminals; and
• Other reasonable costs at the Department’s discretion.
  
  

4. Internal works to convert vacant units above town centre retail premises into residential premises

This part of the Scheme can offer 25% up to £50,000 to turn storage or vacant units into residential units, such as: -

• Professional fees;
• Plumbing and electrical works;
• Plastering;
• Decorating;
• Permanent modifications and installations including (but not limited to) installation of walls,
• external doors, fire escapes etc.; and
• Other reasonable costs at the Department’s discretion

    5. Installation of payment or point of sale equipment in occupied premises

• Support is 50% for first adoption or 25% for upgrades or replacements up to £400. Includes:
  • Payment terminals;
  • Barcode readers;
  • Point of sale terminals or devices;
  • IT equipment (I-Pads, laptops and printers etc); and
  • Other reasonable costs at the Department’s discretion.

Enhanced support is available under the Scheme for applicants who can demonstrate that the works they’re carrying out will support the aims of the Town and Village Regeneration Scheme and the Local Economy Fund and will have a significant impact on one or more of the following factors in a Regeneration Area: - appearance, amenity, footfall and reduce the number of vacant units.

Beneficiaries / Applicants

Grants under this Scheme may be given to the following beneficiaries: -

• A partnership;
• A sole trader;
• A limited company;
• A charity;
• A non-profit making organisation; and
• A local authority.

Eligibility

• The project must be carried out in a regeneration area;
• The project must make improvements to the appearance and/or amenity of the city, town or village;
• The work must not have been started before the application has been submitted and acknowledged;
• Projects can receive support from different Government schemes (e.g. TVRS and the Arts Council) as long as individual item costs are not being supported by more than one scheme. (Applicants who are seeking support from more than one Government scheme are encouraged to contact the Department before applying to discuss their project in more detail); and
• Applicants must declare whether they are up to date with paperwork and payments for Income Tax, NI and VAT, or on an approved payment plan. The Department will seek advice from Treasury regarding these matters and this may result in the application or payment being declined.

Exclusions

• Residential properties
• Government Departments
• Support is not available for: -
• For refurbishment projects, the cost of labour provided by the recipient or by persons employed by the recipient;
• The operating costs of the completed project;
• Any costs payable to a Government Department, a Statutory Board or local authority;
• New builds;
• Events; and
• General repairs and maintenance works which do not uplift the area.

IMPORTANT NOTES

• Any quotes for building work over £10,000, the quotes acquired must be from Construction Isle of Man registered contractors. The Department also recommends obtaining more than one quote for each element of work to ensure best value for money.
• Grants are offered entirely at the Department’s discretion, and even if an applicant is eligible via the criteria set out above, applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis on their own merits with no guarantee of a grant being offered.