Enliven Places Projects Fund : Christchurch City Council

The Enliven Places Projects Fund was for temporary projects to enliven vacant spaces.

The Enliven Places Projects Fund has now closed permanently

The fund enabled individuals, community groups and businesses to contribute to Christchurch’s regeneration with productive, positive and creative temporary projects that enliven vacant spaces.

Are you looking for funding for your project?

As this fund is now closed, please review other Council funds to determine if your project is eligible.

Diverse, innovative, experimental and amenity-enriching projects create buzz, improve wellbeing, offer a much-needed point of difference and build on Christchurch’s reputation as a place for people, as well as a place in which businesses establish more easily.

This small grant fund provided support to those seeking to temporarily turn vacant spaces – for example, land awaiting development, buildings awaiting tenants, walls, hoardings and windows – into spaces that are vibrant, enlivened, greened or otherwise publicly activated.

These activations were for the public good and took place while longer-term uses or tenancies were being determined, or work was yet to commence.

The projects considered were well-planned and had partnerships in place.

To be eligible for this fund, proposed projects had to demonstrate how they meet the below criteria:

Attract residents and visitors through the use of vacant space (site or building) to support regeneration and the return of businesses (must be able to attract at least 200 people for grants of less than $5000 and 500 people for grants over $5000).
Support activities and initiatives that reflect Christchurch’s unique identity.
Create vibrancy and improve the environment, experience and activity for residents, visitors and businesses.
Will activate vacant space awaiting development (e.g. whether vacant land awaiting development, buildings awaiting tenancy, walls facing vacant site) for primarily public benefit.
Support central city and suburban centres by forming clusters of activity.
Where projects were delivered in buildings awaiting longer-term tenants, projects supported increased foot traffic and patronage for neighbouring businesses.
Offer added value: such as the potential for an extended duration, innovation, diversity and significant private partnership.
Delivered within four months of the grant payment.
Must achieve a creative, high-quality outcome.