Rural Business Support is now available through Westmorland & Furness Council’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) programme.
This is delivered by Cumbria Business Growth Hub, the Cumbria Chamber of commerce’s business support arm, working with a number of partners, including The Farmer Network, Cumbria Tourism, Lake District National Park Authority, NFU and others.
Advice and grants are available for small and micro businesses in rural areas of Westmorland and Furness (i.e. the previous Eden and South Lakeland areas) to support:
- Businesses to overcome challenges facing them and respond positively to opportunities
- Farming businesses to respond to phasing out of Basic Payment Scheme and wider challenges and opportunities including diversification
For farming and other land-based businesses this includes:
- Capital grants for purchase of equipment and small scale capital improvements to help grow, diversify, innovate and improve productivity
- Advice vouchers of up to £500, which can be used with an adviser of your choice – no match funding is needed but you can choose to add more
- Workshops to support growth and resilience and help you navigate the new subsidy regimes, delivered through The Farmer Network – access workshops here
For other businesses it includes:
- Capital grants for purchase of equipment and small scale capital improvements to help grow, diversify, innovate and improve productivity
- Adviser support through the Growth Hub’s team, including access to finance and hospitality specialists and more
How to apply
Grants are available up to 40%, with more information and Grant Guidelines available below. The minimum grant is £1,000, with an anticipated average of £15,000.
For the capital grants it’s a two stage process:
- Expressions of interest (EOI) to be submitted by 9am on Monday 22nd April 2024
Please return the completed EOI form and the Subsidy Control Declaration (both available to download below) to: info@cumbriagrowthhub.co.uk. We’d also be happy to answer any questions you might have about this support.
Application Forms
Expression of Interest (EOI) Form
Guidance
Enquiries
For assistance accessing this support, enter your details into the form below and we’ll be in touch.
