Child leaning over a table with a coloring sheet, surrounded by other children and adults at an outdoor craft activity. The table holds a box of colored pencils and markers, and several stools are arranged on a bright blue surface.
Person wearing a green-and-white checkered dress holding a brown paper bag with a leafy plant inside, standing in front of a market stall displaying colorful patterned prints and artwork. A wooden stand holds more prints, and a sign on the table reads ‘Lily Windsor Surface Pattern Design.’

The Economic Recovery Fund

The Economic Recovery Fund (ERF) ran between February 2021 and April 2025.  It was a unique, innovative grant fund that aimed to support local economic recovery in local high streets by empowering local groups of businesses to implement changes themselves.

That meant anything from delivering events for businesses to connect with customers; creating exciting new features to draw people in; making the high street a nicer place to spend time; or something completely different. Solutions were designed by local people for local people, using their insight into what would work on their high street.

About the fund

ERF Round 1

The first round of the Economic Recovery Fund (ERF) was launched in March 2021, offering grants for both small (£50k) and large (£50k-£200k) projects. With a total budget of £2.3 million, 26 projects across Sheffield were supported. See a full list of the project summaries. 

List of projects

ERF Round 2

The Council allocated an additional £2 million for a second round of funding and 23 projects were delivered across the city. See a full list of the project summaries. 

List of projects

Real impact in Sheffield high streets

A whistle-stop tour of some of the brilliant things that people made happen using ERF funding in round 2.

Learn more

Helping communities rediscover their local area through fun events

The Economic Recovery Fund had no shortage of vibrant, imaginative, fun events that lit up high streets, engaged people and brought business to our local independents.

Learn more
Food stall at an outdoor event with a person serving rice from metal trays under a red canopy decorated with patterned fabric. A crowd of people, including families with children and strollers, is visible in the background on a grassy area with trees and a blue food truck.

Creating happier, healthier streets

Enormously popular as part of ERF delivery were a full range of ‘streetscene’ improvements, with everything from bins, benches, planters, parklets, shop front improvements and even a green, living wall delivered with ERF funding.

Learn more
Two people wearing grey uniforms and green gloves are planting herbs and small plants in large black planters positioned on a roadside. The planters contain soil and various green plants, and the individuals are working with gardening tools under bright sunlight. A street with double yellow lines and buildings is visible in the background.

Enhancing local spaces through street art

New street art is a fantastic way to add vibrancy to an area, showcase local artistic talent and reflect the local community.  ERF delivered 170 new pieces of street art that added joy and colour to Sheffield high streets.

Learn more
“Colorful mural on the side of a building featuring a rainbow, flowers, gears, and large hands holding tools, with the words ‘Manor Park Proud’ in bold white letters at the center. Below the mural, the text reads ‘Live the Dream, Live Life Green.’ A person stands in front of the artwork, and part of a car is visible on the right.”

Creating local brands

Many traders groups wanted to use branding as a way of telling the world what their high street was all about and created vibrant logos to have an immediately recognisable and authentic visual representation that businesses could use and get behind. 

Learn more
Close-up of a red banner attached to a lamppost with the words “LOVE WALKLEY” and “Shop Local” in white text, featuring a heart symbol. Next to it is a black oval sign for a traditional butcher shop reading “Chris Beec…” with a phone number partially visible. The background shows a stone building with a window.

Business collaboration and establishing trader groups

Underpinning the whole of the ERF programme and local delivery was a principle of ‘collaboration’, between businesses and other local organisations on the high street, as well as between the Council and each ERF project team.

Learn more
Row of stone-built Victorian-style buildings with ground-floor shops along a street. Visible storefronts include “Valley Insurance Services” with a mustard-yellow facade, “Pavilion” with green signage and flower display outside, and “Worth” with a dark blue front showcasing homeware items. A person stands near the insurance shop, and a “For Auction” sign is displayed in an upper window.

ERF Delivery Images

View a whole range of images that showcase the scale of delivery and fantastic outputs that were achieved through the Economic Recovery Fund - including area branding, street art, events and street scene improvements. 

See more

Spotlight on

The Economic Recovery Fund (ERF) ran between February 2021 and April 2025. It was a unique, innovative grant fund that aims to support local economic recovery in local high streets. Find out more about some of the unique, standout and successful pieces of work our teams delivered.

Find out more

Business Sheffield

Contact us for more information.

0114 224 5000

businesssheffield@sheffield.gov.uk 

Two modern buildings with contrasting architectural styles viewed from street level against a partly cloudy sky. The building on the left features an irregular, geometric façade with protruding panels creating a textured pattern, while the building on the right has a sleek glass exterior with reflective windows and balconies. Sunlight reflects off the glass panels, adding brightness to the scene.
X
Discover...
Sheffield Inspires Logo x