£1 million in grants has been made
available for small businesses in Somerset and Devon through the Rural Enterprise Grant Programme (REG).
The REG programme, which is a joint project set up by the Department of Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), will be available to help micro-enterprises operating in the rural areas of Somerset and Devon.
Cllr Philip Ham, portfolio holder for Policy and Performance, which includes Business Development, said: “These new grants are a great opportunity for small enterprises across Mendip to develop, grow and achieve their full potential.
“Through supporting smaller businesses in the district, these grants will hopefully encourage larger scale rural economic growth and greater employment opportunities. This will help to ensure that our rural communities remain active and vibrant places in which to live and work.”
To be eligible for the grants, business must have fewer than 10 employees and be able to demonstrate wider benefits in terms of jobs created/safeguarded, economic growth, sustainability and benefits to other businesses in the area.
The grants are intended to cover up to 40% of the project cost; the remaining 60% must be covered by the business. To find out if you’re eligible to apply please visit www.heartofswlep.co.uk/rural-growth-grants
The first £500,000 will be allocated by July 2013 and the remaining sum allocated by December 2013. You can express an interest now and if your project is deemed eligible you will be invited to submit a full application at a later date
To find out more about these grants and how you can apply please visit www.heartofswlep.co.uk/rural-growth-grants, call Rural Focus on 08456 047047 or email [email protected].
If you would like to find out more about starting up a new business in Mendip please contact Mendip District Council’s Business Development team on 01749 648999 or visit www.mendip.gov.uk