Over £50 million of government funding for rural businesses
is still up for grabs with a little over a week left to
apply.
The government is encouraging rural businesses, start-ups
and enterprises to apply for a share of its Growth
Programme, which provides grants from £20,000 up to
£750,000 to boost productivity, create local jobs and
increase tourism.
So far the scheme has seen around £110 million awarded to
625 projects across England, creating almost 4,000 new jobs
in rural communities since 2015.
In Cumbria, fresh food supplier Caterite Food and
Wineservice secured funding to significantly expand their
vegetable and salad processing facility, creating 10 new
local jobs. Elsewhere, a Devon local landscaping business
has used the funding to move into a new purpose-built
facility that promotes environmentally friendly operations,
such as recycling, re-using materials and growing an
extensive nursery stock.
To apply for this funding, interested parties need to send
an Expression of Interest (EOI) form to the Rural Payments
Agency outlining how they meet the criteria for the scheme
by midnight on 16 February. Successful applicants will then
be invited to submit a full application.
Rural Payments Agency Chief Executive Paul Caldwell said:
Our rural enterprises are at the heart of the economy and
this fund is helping grow these businesses, create jobs
and improve economic opportunities in rural communities.
With the deadline fast approaching, I would urge all
rural businesses to look into what this scheme could do
for them now - whether you’re a start-up, a
well-established operation or a farm looking to
diversify.
To find out more, visit the RDPE Growth
Programme handbook on GOV.UK which contains
information on which projects are deemed eligible for a
grant and how to apply.
