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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.