North Somerset Rural Prosperity Fund

Capital grant funding is available for micro, small and medium sized businesses and community organisations based in rural North Somerset, to purchase new equipment and improve existing infrastructure.

You can apply for a grant of between £5k – £25k to help your rural business or community organisation deliver a project that will be of wider benefit to the local economy and community. This includes farm businesses looking to diversify income streams.

Our grant will cover up to 75% of the eligible costs of a business project or 90% of the eligible costs for a community project.

To find out if you and your project are located in an eligible area please visit the map

The second round of applications for the grant programme applications has now closed.

Please see our guidance note for the full eligibility criteria but as a summary:

• Your registered and/or trading address must be within an eligible part of North Somerset
• Your project must take place within an eligible part of North Somerset
• You must be a micro, small or medium sized business or community organisation with a legal structure
• You need to be able to complete your project and spend by March 2024 for Round 1
• Your project needs to deliver one or more of the outcomes, specified in the guidance notes.

Our fund is for capital projects only. This means you must spend the grant on assets such as building or equipment which are expected to have a life of more than one year. It may include the enhancement of existing assets.

Our businesses fund will support projects that:

• • increase innovation activities.
  • are productivity enhancing, energy efficient and support low carbon technologies and techniques.
  • create jobs or safeguard jobs
  • boost community cohesion.
  • create visible improvements to local retail, hospitality and leisure sector facilities.
  • enhance rural visitor economy and rural leisure opportunities.

Our community fund will support projects that:

• • Foster a sense of local pride and belonging, through activities that enhance physical, cultural and social ties and amenities. This includes community infrastructure, local green space and community-led projects.

Before you apply it is essential that you check the map and read the guidance note to confirm that your business and community organisation are eligible and your project matches with the objectives of this fund.  All of the supporting documentation can be found here

This fund is open for applications from 09:30 on 24 May 2024 to 12 noon Friday 28 June 2024.

For specific queries about your individual project please contact the North Somerset Council Economy team on business@n-somerset.gov.uk and put REPF in the subject of your e-mail.

The North Somerset Rural Prosperity Fund is funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.