Rural England Prosperity Fund

The Government announced a new, £110m Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF). This fund will help to improve productivity and strengthen the rural economy and rural communities.

Grant Schemes

*Babergh & Mid Suffolk District Councils have launched three new grant schemes which utilise the REPF funding.

Funding will be available for activities that will have a positive impact on rural business and communities. Examples include strengthening buildings, equipment and assets, or delivering new activity. The three schemes will provide capital grants to small businesses, visitor economy organisations and community organisations in the district’s rural areas:

1. The Rural Business Growth Fund         APPLY HERE
2. The Rural Culture & Creativity Fund    APPLY HERE
3. The Rural Communities Fund               APPLY HERE

Please refer to the full APPLICATION GUIDANCE NOTES for more information on each scheme. The notes explain how you can ensure your project meets the criteria for the fund.

How Much Could I Get?

Grants of up to £10,000 are available for the Rural Culture & Creativity Fund and the Rural Communities Fund, but in some instances we may be able to offer higher grant values to support larger projects, please contact us before applying for further information. Grants of up to £30,000 are available for the Rural Business Growth Fund. You must be able to match any funding that you are applying for with your own funds. All payments are made at the end of the process. Therefore, you will need to be able to fund the project fully by yourself before any reimbursements are made. We may be able to phase payments to assist with cashflow, but please contact us prior to applying. Funding cannot be used to pay for items purchased prior to the grant being determined.

Important Information

Please note that this is a capital only fund. Capital means assets that have monetary value, such as equipment, real estate, and inventory.

The deadline for submitting applications is 31st December 2024. Should the funding be oversubscribed (and all funds are allocated) the authority has the right to close the fund early. All grants must be claimed by 1st March 2025 which means your project must be completed by then. Please be aware we are no longer accepting applications for Mid Suffolk as funds are now fully committed.

Applications will be assessed on a first come, first served basis and subject to funding still being available. Grant determination panels will be held monthly.

Breakdown of Funding

Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils have been allocated the below REPF funding. It will be delivered until the end of March 2025.

For any additional queries, please email our Economic development team.

*Please be aware we are no longer accepting applications for Mid Suffolk as funds are now fully committed.