Campbelltown City Council – Street Appeal Shop Front Improvement Grant
Summary of initiative
First impressions count! Peeling paint, faded signs and rundown looking buildings can all have a big impact on how people view and engage within town centres and precincts.
The Street Appeal Shop Front Improvement Grant helps improve the aesthetics and vibrancy of local town centres, as well as enhance the experiences of residents and visitors to the region. Eligible businesses can apply for up to $2,000 to help them update their shop fronts, outdoor façades, or alfresco dining furniture.
Background
Council took a proactive role to support local businesses in changing the streetscape of the high street to make it a more attractive area to visit. ‘Street Appeal’ is a key programs under the Reimagining Campbelltown City Centre Master Plan adopted in 2020.
Implementation
Promotion of the Grant Program
The Street Appeal Grant application was open for a period of two months. In the lead up to the grant, and throughout this two-month period, the program was promoted extensively via:
- information flyers, which were distributed to every individual business in the precinct eligible to apply for the grant
- social media posts
- local media releases and photo shoots
- business e-newsletters
- a presentation at the local Chamber of Commerce industry event.
Prior to the grant opening, an online workshop was coordinated to provide businesses with detailed information about the grant, as well as answer any questions they may have about the application process, or the type of improvement works that could be undertaken.
To help promote the grant program to local businesses, Council partnered with the local Chamber of Commerce. This proved successful not only in informing business owners about the grant program, but also allowing the chamber members to meet main street businesses, often for the first time, and raise awareness about the chamber and their purpose.
Applying for the Grant Program
Council partnered with NSW Business Connect to support the Street Appeal grant application process. It was a requirement of the grant that prior to submitting the online application, each business had to first meet with one of our local NSW Business Connect advisors.
The advisor could ensure that the individual projects each business was proposing to deliver as part of the grant program was eligible, therefore resulting in a better quality of grant applications received and an improved likelihood of funds being awarded. This requirement also helped to raise awareness of the Business Connect program and encouraged more local businesses to use the free advisory service to help them improve, support or grow their business.
Once the grant application period closed, a panel of Council staff reviewed each application and awarded the funding. Businesses had a three-month period to complete the projects outlined in their application and complete a grant acquittal.
Outputs, outcomes and results
Many local businesses are keen to explore opportunities to improve their shop fronts, however they often can’t afford the work that is required. Twenty businesses were given grants of up to $2,000 each to help them update their shop fronts, with many supplementing the grant with additional funds to upgrade their projects. They had three months to implement their projects with acquittals done at the end of the year.
Qualitative feedback we received indicated the grant gave business owners the push to move forward with shop front improvements.
There has been a noticeable uplift to the look and feel of the high street, so Council is looking forward to repeating the program in 2022 across two locations – Campbelltown and Ingleburn.
Costs and funding
The grant program cost of $40,000 was funded entirely by Council. It was supported by the NSW Government’s Business Connect advisors program.
Key learnings
When reviewing the grant applications received as part of the 2021 pilot program, we noticed that many of the applicants were using non-locally based trades to deliver the façade improvement works.
To encourage businesses to use local suppliers, Council developed a directory of local trade businesses. Local trade services could register to be included in this directory by completing an easy online expression of interest (EOI).
The directory, which included graphic designers, sign writers, lighting providers, painters, visual artists and outdoor dining furniture suppliers, is included on all communication material promoting the grant.
Other relevant information
Following the conclusion of the pilot Street Appeal Grant Program in 2021, a post campaign debrief was undertaken with each of the project partners to gather their feedback and insights. As a direct result of the feedback, the online grant application process has been improved for the 2022 grant program.
Council Details
Population size: 175,000
LGA size: 312km2
State Electorate: Campbelltown
Federal Electorate: Macarthur