Belfast City Council: Vacant to Vibrant Capital Grant
Overview
What is Vacant to Vibrant?
The Vacant to Vibrant scheme aims to reduce vacancy, address dereliction and support local independent businesses in Belfast. The city centre scheme is closed to applications. The citywide scheme is still open to applications.
The scheme provides capital grants to incentivise and support property owners and potential occupiers in bringing vacant properties back into use in local neighbourhoods and the city centre.
The scheme also has a matchmaker service to help businesses that are seeking new premises, connect with owners who may have suitable properties available.
Matchmaker service
You can contact their matchmaker service to get help identifying a suitable property which could qualify for Vacant to Vibrant funding. The service supports property searches in the city centre, although city centre properties are not eligible for funding.
Vacant to Vibrant scheme update on 2 May 2025
The Vacant to Vibrant scheme has two funding pots.
Citywide funding (beyond the city centre boundary)
Applications are still open for their citywide scheme on a first-come, first-served basis until all funding is allocated.
City centre funding
This pot is now fully allocated. They aren't accepting applications for properties within our city centre boundary. See the map showing Belfast city centre boundary.
Please contact them to register an expression of interest in case future funding becomes available. You can also register to receive updates on further funding for the city centre.
Who can apply?
Applications are welcome from:
- business start-ups
- independent retailers
- social enterprises
- cultural and voluntary organisations
- property owners seeking to transform their vacant property to support occupation.
The scheme is open to applications for vacant properties in:
- areas outside the city centre.
Vacant to Vibrant grants
There are three levels of capital grants available:
- up to £2,500
- up to £15,000
- up to £25,000
Funding can be used for:
- external capital works to façades to improve look and feel of local high streets, including shop frontage enhancements, signage, painting and lighting
- internal capital works to make a vacant property fit for purpose and support long-term occupation, including access improvements, upgrades to internal fixtures and fittings, furniture, and equipment required for occupier operations
- the diversification of a property’s unoccupied space to help existing businesses survive.
If a grant application is successful, the applicant must contribute a minimum of 10 per cent match funding.
Vacant to Vibrant citywide
Following the success of their scheme in Belfast city centre, they have secured £500,000 of capital funding from the Department for Communities and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to extend the scheme to areas outside the city centre.
Capital grants will be available to properties and businesses located within their boundary, making our high streets and surrounding neighbourhoods more vibrant, diverse and welcoming.
They will award grants on a first-come, first-served basis. They will prioritise properties with significant frontage in urban centres and along arterial routes. Applications are open until all the funding has been awarded.
Vacant to Vibrant city centre
They are not accepting Vacant to Vibrant applications for vacant properties in Belfast city centre. This is because all funding for this portion of the scheme has now been allocated.
They approved 48 applicants for a Vacant to Vibrant grant in Belfast city centre. This has created 139 direct employment opportunities, with a further 34 indirect employment opportunities across the supply chain, and reanimated 23 historical buildings or buildings of interest.
There were successful applications by:
- bakeries
- gyms
- charities
- art galleries
- hairdressing salons
- tattoo studios.
These applicants restored vacant properties and transformed the spaces into new premises for their businesses, bringing diversity and vibrancy to Belfast city centre.