New RDPE Growth Programme

Grant funding for projects in England which create jobs and growth in the rural economy – what is available and how to apply.

The Rural Payments Agency announced on the 4th November 2019 that the Business Development, Food Processing and Rural Tourism Infrastructure grants are now open to new applications. Expressions of Interest (EOI) forms must be submitted before midnight on 16 February 2020.  The grant is for a minimum of £20,000 and requires one job created per £30k of funding.

There are 3 types of grant:

·  Business development

·  Food processing

·  Rural tourism infrastructure 

The grants are funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), which is part of the European Structural Investment Funds (ESIF).

All application documents and further information can be found at the website – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rdpe-growth-programme

The UK Government has guaranteed that any Rural Development Programme projects where funding has been agreed before the end of 2020 will be funded for their full lifetime. This applies in both a negotiated and a no-deal scenario. It will make sure funding is continued for these projects until they finish. This means that we can continue to agree and sign new projects after the UK leaves the EU during 2019 and 2020