Rural Development

Virgin Money PLC has launched a new £200 million fund to help the UK agriculture sector transition to net zero. The Agri E Fund will offer low-cost loans for farmers to invest in suitable adaptations to their businesses which will reduce their on-farm emissions. Loans with 0% arrangement fees can be provided when farmers complete a carbon audit, and are looking to borrow over £50,000 to invest in emission reducing initiatives, like renewable...

Farmers in England can now apply for funding of between £25,000 and £300,000 to help them boost their businesses and add extra value to their produce. The funding is being made available through the new £30 million Farming Investment Fund (FIF) . Funded by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs the grants can be used to purchase equipment to process, diversify and add value to their products after they have been harvested...

A new £3 million fund has been announced to enable 125 village halls in England to upgrade and modernise their premises, so that they can continue to meet the needs of their communities. The funding has been made available by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The Platinum Jubilee Village Hall Improvement Grant Fund will provide funding over three years for capital improvement project...

Charities working in rural areas to support rural development can apply for grants of up to £50,000. The funding is available for mainly larger projects that would have a significant impact upon rural economies. Projects supported in the past have ranged from City farms, Federations of Young Farmers Clubs and farming Community Networks. The funding is being made available through the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust. In addition, the Trust's Cente...

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, in partnership with UK Research & Innovation, has launched round 2 of the Farming Innovation Programme. The programme supports collaborative research and development projects that enable England’s agricultural and horticultural sectors to be more environmentally sustainable and resilient, whilst moving the sectors towards net zero. This latest round invites farmers, growers or foresters t...

Under a new Government scheme, farmers in England who wish to retire or leave the industry can now apply for a lump sum payment to allow them to do so in a planned way. Defra’s Lump Sum Exit Payment Scheme will offer farmers the option of applying for a lump sum payment of up to £100,000. In order to claim the exit payment, farmers must either sell their land, rent it out, give it away, surrender a tenancy, or plant trees on it. The scheme,...

Grants of up to £200,000 are available to support charities, social enterprise and other not-for-profit groups in Northern Ireland with projects to tackle rural poverty and social isolation by developing a sustainable use for a disused historic building in their village. The Department for Communities, in partnership with the Department for Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs, the Architectural Heritage Fund, and the Northern Ireland Ho...

The Forestry Commission is inviting applications from landowners, land managers and public bodies in England who are interested in planting new woodland. The Woodland Creation Planning Grant offers funding of up to £30,000 to cover the costs of producing a woodland creation design plan for the application. There are two application stages: stage 1 – identifying constraints and opportunities which may affect the proposed planting. Funding of...

Grants of up to £3,000 are available to enable rural pub owners, licensees, and local communities to work together to help support and sustain local services in England, Scotland and Wales. Pub is the Hub’s Community Services Fund will assist projects which support the needs of local communities by using pubs to offer a new service or replace a service that has already been lost, such as a local shop, library, post office or community centr...

Households and businesses in rural areas can apply for funding to help with poor broadband speeds as part of a new £250 million Government initiative. The Government will provide vouchers worth up to £1,500 for homes and £3,500 for businesses to support the cost of installing new gigabit-capable connections where existing broadband speeds are less than 100Mbps. Applications can only be made when two or more residents or eligible small or me...

Voluntary, community and public sector organisations in Scotland can apply for Technical assistance funding through the Scottish Land Fund. The Scottish Land Fund provides grants to voluntary, community and public sector organisations to take ownership of land and buildings to help urban and rural communities to become more resilient and sustainable. Technical assistance grants of £2,500 and £30,000 are available to help prepare to purchas...