The Youth Charity, The Prince’s Trust helps to change young
lives. It gives practical and financial support in developing key
workplace skills such as confidence and motivation.
The Prince’s Trust works with 14 to 30 year olds, who may have
found school difficult, been in care, long-term unemployed or are
struggling to find a niche for themselves.
If you have an idea for a business but are unable to raise the
funding you need, then The Prince’s Trust’s business programme
could help you to get up and running with financial and mentor
support. Information sessions and individual appointments to
discuss your idea are available locally. Phone free, 0800 842
842 or visit the website.
Yorkshire Forward is responsible for the
delivery of the socio-economic elements of the Rural Development
Programme for England (RDPE), investing European Agricultural Fund
for Rural Development (EAFRD) and DEFRA funding in Yorkshire and
the Humber.
Yorkshire Forward has been working with
partners in the region to design programmes of support through
which businesses and communities can access funding. Independent
assessment panels have been established to review grant
applications for the following three grant programmes:
Rural Enterprise Investment Programme
(REIP)
Open to both start up enterprises, businesses
that wish to expand and partner organisations. Activity under the
following areas can be supported:
Rural business growth –
through innovative farm diversifications, rural micro
business creation and development and investment in the tourism
‘product’. Additionally land based businesses will be supported
through the development of collaborative ventures.
Investment in supply chains and added
value – within the food and forestry primary
processing sectors, including innovation and collaboration within
the supply chain and on farm renewable energy and resource
efficiency.
To receive support applications must
be for grant investment of £25,000 or above, and be a maximum of
three years long.
Please be aware that European State Aid Rules
limit the total amount of funding that can be provided to
individual businesses and the percentage of grant investment is
available at various levels.
Rural Business Start Up Programme
(RBSUP)
Open to new rural enterprises and young
businesses (less than one year old), where the investment will help
to kick-start the business. Existing businesses may also
apply if they are diversifying (developing a genuinely new
enterprise within the existing business). Proposals that
involve the expansion of an existing enterprise are not eligible
for this funding.
Funding is available to “encourage the start
up and diversification of economic activity in key rural
sectors”. Proposals should have a focus on innovation,
quality, sustainability, added value and the development of
improved business processes.
Grants of up to £10,000 are available
through the programme; the minimum grant amount is
£2,000.
Applicants should note that grant investment is available at
40% towards eligible capital/revenue costs.
Contact the Business Link Yorkshire Customer
Information Centre on 08456 048048 for further information.
Rural Retail Support Scheme
(RRS)
The Rural Retail Support Scheme is a pilot
project which has been set up in order to respond to the challenges
facing essential retail businesses in small rural areas. This
scheme will be targeted at retail businesses in rural areas (as
defined by DEFRA) in the Yorkshire & Humber region.
Rural retail businesses, for the purpose of
this scheme, are commercially delivered services such as:
- Village based shops or more remotely based
shops. (These may or may not include Post Office services or
shops adjusting to the loss or reduction of Post Office
services);
- Independently owned petrol filling stations
offering a wider range of products for sale
- Public houses providing services in addition
to on site beverages, food and accommodation, or proposing to
introduce other services.
Businesses should be considering some
significant change and be prepared to invest. The business
may be looking to address a significant weakness in its offer or it
may be looking to invest to pre-empt a threat in the future.
Grants of up to £10,000 are available
through the programme; costs can support a Retail Business
Assessment and a Business Development Grant.
Contact the Business Link Yorkshire Customer
Information Centre on 08456 048048 for further information.
Other RDPE Support
Programmes
Please visit the Yorkshire Forward Rural
Development Programme link below to find further information on
other ways RDPE funding is being used to benefit the region,
including:
LEADER - a community led
approach to rural development, focusing primarily on basic services
for rural communities, rural culture and heritage, village
development and renewal.
Landskills - a new programme
supporting the development of the technical skills of the regions
agricultural, horticultural and forestry sectors.
Please note: This information
was accurate as of November 2008 and may be subject to change at
any time. Please refer to the Yorkshire Forward Rural
Development Programme link below for the latest information.