City Centre Vibrancy Fund

About the fund

In recognition of the challenges facing city centre businesses, we have opened applications for the City Centre Vibrancy Fund. The City Centre Vibrancy Fund has been enabled through Government funding from Derby’s Shared Prosperity Fund allocation. This has a key priority around building pride in place and engagement in local culture and community. Challenges such as the impact of covid and decline in retail have had an impact on Derby City Centre and the businesses located there. We aim to address some of these issues through this funding.

A positive experience when visiting a city is essential to improve reputation, increase footfall and encourage repeat visits. We are looking to award grants to enable creative and cultural projects that will contribute to an overall increase and improvement in the vibrancy of Derby. Funded projects will create eye-catching interventions and installations within the public realm, which surprise and engage, connecting people and place, whilst changing the look and feel of the city centre.

Ensuring diversity is visible and celebrated builds pride in a city and ensures people feel included and welcomed. We are therefore keen to receive applications that will help the city centre to reflect the cultural identity of our communities.

The type of projects we anticipate supporting include:

• Creative interventions by local artists into the fabric of the city in the form of decorated hoardings, painted streets, window treatments on vacant property, wall murals and installations.
• Street canopy projects to enliven streets where the infrastructure exists. A technical specification for Irongate street canopy design is available.

Who can apply

Organisations and individuals will be eligible to apply for the vibrancy fund if they are based in Derby and are able to deliver vibrancy projects similar to those described either independently or by collaborating with other artists, makers and suppliers. Priority will be given to applications that can demonstrate wider benefits such as building a legacy that will continue to deliver after the specific project has concluded.

How to apply

Key dates

• The deadline for submission to the City Centre Vibrancy Fund is midday on 3 May 2023.
• We aim to complete assessments and issue decision letters by 31 May 2023.
• Our preference is for projects to be delivered from June to August 2023. All projects must be completed and installed by 30 November 2023.

Completing the application form

We are inviting applications for grants up to £10,000 through the City Centre Vibrancy Fund. By exception, we will consider grants at a higher level if budget is available and capacity allows. However, due to the limited level of funding available, we anticipate most awards will be below £10,000 and encourage you to only apply for what you need to deliver the project.

Download an application form

Budget breakdown

Please provide a breakdown of all costs associated with the project including development, fabrication, and installation. You should also provide details of any other funding that will contribute to the costs and whether this is approved or in process.

Submitting your application

Once you have completed the application form, sign the declaration and collate all relevant supporting information. These should then be emailed to mike.brown@derby.gov.uk.

What happens next

When we have received your application, Derby City Council will undertake an initial eligibility check to determine whether the project can move to assessment. This eligibility check will include the following verification:

• application is fully complete
• eligibility status of applicant.

If your application is incomplete, we will notify you of any outstanding information required. You will be given a set time to return this information. Failure to provide this information within the given time may mean your application does not progress to assessment.

We will use the responses you provide to theInformation Questions and Finance Questions to assess whether there is a genuine need for the level of funding requested. It is the responsibility of the applicant to make a clear and concise case to justify their funding request. Following assessment, the grants panel will make one of the following recommendations:

• fund at the level requested
• fund at a lower level than requested
• not to fund.

Grant income received by a business is taxable. Therefore, funding paid under this scheme will be subject to tax. Only businesses which make an overall profit once grant income is included will be subject to tax.

What if my application is not approved?

We anticipate a high demand for the funding so it is unlikely we will be able to fund all applications. There is no right to appeal, and the Council's decision is final. We will provide details of why your application was rejected or funded at a lower level than requested within our decision letter.

Further information

If you have any questions relating to the fund or your application, email mike.brown@derby.gov.uk.

Specification for Irongate street canopy proposals

We encourage you to undertake a site visit to consider the context and location. Existing infrastructure is in place for hanging canopy artworks on Irongate.

Technical specification for Irongate street canopy designs

• There are six fixed columns in place, three on each side of the street.
• The distance across the street between each pair of columns is 6.8 meters.
• Going down Irongate, the distance between the top pair of columns and the middle pair of columns is 30.2 meters.
• Going down Irongate the distance between the middle pair of columns and the bottom pair of columns is 36 meters.
• Catenary wires are strung across Irongate connecting each pair of columns.
• Catenary wires are strung down Irongate connecting the three columns on each side of the street. There is a final catenary wire that runs down the centre of Irongate connecting the three cross street wires.
• The height of the wires is 7 meters from the road surface.
• The distance from the road surface to the bottom of the installation needs to be a minimum of 6 meters.

Installation considerations

• Additional catenary wires can be strung across the street.
• Anything hung from the wires should be lightweight so as not to cause undue sag in the wires.
• Environmental factors should be considered – what will be the impact of sun, rain and wind on the installation?

Technical expertise

At this stage we are looking for great ideas that will be eye catching and add to the vibrancy of Irongate. We expect you to have considered technical aspects of your proposed design but understand that these may not be finalised. Should your idea be selected, we have technical experts that can advise on issues such as installation, wind drag and load bearing to ensure the final design meets safety standards.

Following this second stage of design development, if the project cannot meet technical and safety requirements of the site, the Council may choose not to progress with the commission.