Town Centre Shopfront Improvement Scheme

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, in partnership with the Department for Communities (DfC), delivered the Town Centre Shopfront Improvement Programme to enhance the appearance of commercial premises within designated town centres across the Borough.

The programme provided grant support to eligible businesses and property owners to carry out external shopfront improvements, with the aim of supporting local business growth, improving the local environment and increasing footfall and trade.

The programme was delivered in phases over the 2024–25 and 2025–26 financial years, subject to funding availability. A fourth phase round of funding has now been made available. This will open on Thursday 20 August 2026 and close at 4.00pm on Wednesday 30 September 2026. No late submissions will be accepted.

Funding has been secured for a fourth phase of the scheme. If the programme is oversubscribed, applications will be prioritised based on a number of criteria to ensure that the objectives of the programme are optimised. The proposed criteria will include:

• Applicants who did not proceed under phase 1, phase 2 or phase 3, either through late or incomplete submissions, or had not previously applied to the programme.
• Business properties which have not come forward but are in a street or area with multiple applications, to maximise the local impact of the programme.
• Areas that are deemed to have been under represented across the programme.

Previously successful applicants under phase 1, phase 2 or phase 3 will not be eligible to re-apply.

You can download our guidance notes here.