Grant funding has been launched to help small and medium sized businesses recover from the impact of the Covid-19 crisis.
The European Regional Development Fund Programme will distribute grants of between £1,000 and £5,000 to SMEs.
The aim is to help firms access new technology and other equipment as well as professional, legal, financial or other advice.
The scheme, which has been allocated £20m, is being administered by the 38 growth hubs led by the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) across the UK, all of which are being awarded a minimum of £250,000.
Dan Murphy, of Savills food and farming team, urged farmers and rural firms to apply for the funding.
“This grant funding is a good opportunity for farmers to invest in some relatively low capital cost equipment or professional advice that could make a difference as they recover from Covid-19.”
Businesses will need to provide a quote for any work or purchases they intend to fund, and work must not have started on the project or goods been purchased.
“To have the best chance of securing a grant, businesses should prepare now by researching their options and sourcing quotations to submit with their application as there is expected to be high demand,” added Mr Murphy.
