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Date: 6 May 2025
Category: City centre
Belfast City Council has agreed the final grants for its £1m Vacant to Vibrant city centre scheme, launched in 2022 to incentivise take up of empty units – and the figures show it’s been a resounding success.
As well as helping to revitalise and animate the city centre, the council’s investment will generate over £3.5m in rates – a return of almost £4 for every £1 allocated in grants.
Although the city centre funding has been fully allocated and the scheme is now closed, the council is currently inviting further applications for its citywide Vacant to Vibrant scheme.
Businesses and organisations as diverse as Another World, ArtsEkta, Bodega Bagels, Golden Thread Gallery, High Society, Michele International Hairdressing, Neighbourhood Café, Sloan’s Gym, Vault Artist Studios and Verona Bridal benefitted from the city centre scheme.
Of 48 grants awarded, 23 have helped, or are helping to regenerate a historic building or building of interest. Round House Bakery for example will be using their funding to bring artisan sourdough breads, pastries, and pizza to a unit in Cathedral Buildings, after it was almost destroyed by fire three years ago.
Those awarded grants will generate £23m in sales over the lifespan of the scheme. Vacant to Vibrant will also create 139 jobs, with a further 34 indirect employment opportunities across the supply chain.
Chair of Belfast City Council’s City Growth and Regeneration Committee, Councillor Sam Nelson said: “Vacant to Vibrant has been such a success in the city centre, helping to strengthen Belfast’s attractiveness as a place to visit, live and invest – boosting footfall, rates income, employment and business income. And I think that success is thanks to a combination of the applicants’ energy, vision and hard work, along with the wrap around support we’ve provided to help them develop business plans, marketing, and of course linking them with suitable units.
“We’re now seeking additional investment to allow us to extend the Vacant to Vibrant city centre scheme.”
Neal Campbell, General Manager of Vault Artist Studios commented: “We’re delighted to secure £25,000 Vacant to Vibrant funding for Spencer House as the first phase of our fundraising towards taking on this iconic and historic city centre building.
“Vault is passionate about advocating for the importance of arts and culture within sustainable regeneration, and we're very excited to do this in the heart of the city centre on Royal Avenue, where we can facilitate new conversations about how we reimagine and reactivate Belfast's heritage buildings.
“We thank Belfast City Council for its support and we're hopeful that we can now press on and secure the additional funding that will be needed to bring Spencer House back to life, as a new home for over 30 multidisciplinary artists."
Vacant to Vibrant’s success is now being replicated citywide, with nine applications securing a total of £195,000 to date. That investment will generate rates of almost £370K and result in 33 direct jobs, with a further 10 indirect employment opportunities across the supply chain.
Recent citywide examples include Forward South Partnership creating a new larger office space and a one-stop community hub in a long-term vacant property on the Lisburn Road and Charlie’s Pizza Belfast creating a pizza restaurant in a long-term vacant unit on the Ormeau Road.
Applications for Belfast City Council’s Vacant to Vibrant citywide scheme (grants between £2.5k and £25K) are welcome from business start-ups, independent retailers, social enterprises, cultural and voluntary organisations and property owners seeking to transform their vacant property. Grants will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, until all funding is allocated.
For further information, go to www.belfastcity.gov.uk/vacanttovibrant