£10 Million Hospitality Grant Scheme – New Opportunities for Pubs and Hospitality Businesses

September 2026 | TMDP LLP | Hospitality & Property

The Government has announced a new £10 million, three-year Hospitality Grant Scheme, creating potential funding opportunities for independent pubs, restaurants and cafés looking to invest, diversify and grow.

For property owners and hospitality operators, the announcement is particularly relevant where there are plans to bring vacant or underused space back into use, diversify an existing business, introduce new community uses or invest in the future of a rural pub.

Guidance for the scheme is now available, with applications expected to be received from the end of September 2026.

What could the funding support?

The programme is intended to support a range of initiatives across the hospitality sector, including:

• bringing vacant premises back into productive use;

• supporting new hospitality businesses;

• training and development;

• helping existing venues diversify and grow; and

• supporting community-led and rural hospitality projects.

More than £3 million of the overall funding has been earmarked for Pub is The Hub, with a particular focus on helping rural pubs diversify and provide additional services for their communities.

For pubs, this could create opportunities where an existing building, outbuilding or part of a site has the potential to accommodate an additional use or where investment could help broaden the role of the pub within its local community.

Could your project qualify?

Not every refurbishment, extension or capital investment project will automatically be eligible.

The important first step is to look at the proposed project alongside the relevant funding criteria and establish whether there is a realistic opportunity before committing significant time or cost to an application.

For pub owners and operators in particular, it may be worth reviewing planned investment programmes now rather than waiting until the application process is underway.

Projects involving vacant space, diversification, new services, community facilities or rural pubs may warrant particular attention.

Turning funding into a deliverable project

Securing funding is only one part of delivering a successful hospitality project.

An initial idea may also need to be supported by an assessment of the existing property, feasibility work, drawings, planning advice, budget information and a clear understanding of how the project can actually be delivered.

This is where TMDP LLP can assist.

We already work extensively within the pub and hospitality sector, advising property owners and operators on projects ranging from targeted repairs and refurbishment through to extensions, alterations, heritage projects and wider estate investment.

Depending upon the project and the requirements of the relevant funding programme, we can assist with:

Feasibility & Project Development

Reviewing the initial idea, property and potential scope to establish whether a viable project can be developed.

Planning & Heritage

Identifying planning, listed building or other statutory requirements at an early stage and developing an appropriate strategy.

Architectural Design

Preparing the drawings and design information required to turn an initial concept into a defined project.

Cost Consultancy

Developing realistic project budgets and cost information to help clients understand the level of investment required.

Project & Contract Management

Helping take successful projects through procurement, construction and completion.

Planning ahead……

With applications beginning from the end of September, hospitality businesses considering investment should start reviewing potential projects now.

For clients with a wider pub or hospitality estate, there may also be value in looking across a number of properties to identify those where grant funding and planned capital investment could potentially work together.

Rather than treating grant funding as a reason to create a project, our approach is to identify projects that already make commercial and operational sense and then establish whether available funding can help unlock or improve their delivery.

Have a hospitality project in mind?

If you are considering investment in a pub, restaurant, café or other hospitality property, speak to TMDP before progressing your plans.

We can review the initial proposal, identify the likely property, planning, design and cost considerations, and help establish the most appropriate route forward.

TMDP LLP

Ideas. Expertise. Real Progress.