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Could you qualify for a rural grant?
Jeremy Oliver, Partner

The Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) is investing £63m in retaining, growing and attracting businesses which sustain rural communities—and you could be eligible for funding.  Around 80% of our region is rural, so it’s vital that new and existing businesses outside of our towns and cities get the support they need to grow and succeed.

What is the RDPE?

The RDPE is a ‘pot’ of money allocated to England from the EU and Defra via the European Fund for Rural Development. It has three aims:

  • Improving the competitiveness of the agricultural and forestry sector
  • Improving the environment and the countryside
  • Improving the quality of life in rural areas, and encouraging diversification of the rural economy

What sort of funding could you get?
There are 3 different types of funding schemes:

  • If you’re starting a new business or growing an existing one, the Rural Enterprise Investment Programme (REIP) could provide grants of 50% when the projects costs are £50,000 or more.
  • If you’re starting or expanding a new rural micro-enterprise (ie with less than 10 employees) the Rural Business Support Programme (RBSP) can provide grants of up to 50% when the project is worth up to £50,000 (through Business Link).
  • If you’re introducing new technology to promote resource efficiency on a farm, the Farm Resource Efficiency Programme (FREP) could provide grants of up to 50% (to a maximum of £25,000) for capital equipment projects such as renewable power, heat, rainwater harvesting or manure management for farming and horticultural businesses.

Who is eligible for a grant?
Many types of enterprises within a rural postcode could be eligible for funding—including those in tourism, food and drink, creative industries, forestry and woodland and renewable energy.

If you would like to find out more about this or other types of grants or sources of finance please contact the head of our Access to Finance team, Jeremy Oliver at joliver@garbutt-elliott.co.uk