Lancashire RDPE Launch

£4.5m funding for Lancashire’s rural businesses up for grabs

A £4.5 million funding pot is available for rural businesses seeking to improve productivity and development.

The funding is available for a wide variety of activities from support for farmers who are looking to diversify away from pure agriculture, to agricultural businesses wishing to introduce new technology, processes or products and to new or growing small rural businesses that have potential to expand and create new jobs.

Funding comes from The Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), a £75million programme in the Northwest which aims to create sustainable rural areas. Of this, £4.5million will be delivered directly in Lancashire by three Local Action Groups (LAGs) who are managed by Lancashire Economic Partnership (LEP).

Stephen Brown, Head of Economic Regeneration at Lancashire Economic Partnership, said: "We are delighted to announce that RDPE in Lancashire is now open for business. The grants available to rural businesses of all kinds will fuel growth and will help our extensive rural assets to continue to help drive Lancashire’s economy."

Lancashire Economic Partnership is managing this part of RDPE on behalf of the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA). The NWDA manages part of the entire Northwest programme with funding coming from the European Union and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).*

Rural businesses will be able to apply for funding from three Local Action Groups (LAGs), which consist of representatives from the public, private and voluntary sectors. Lancashire Economic Partnership has set up 3 Local Action Groups to deliver the funds, each with an individual Development Officer to help bring forward projects and support them through the application process.

David Hunter, Head of Rural Development at the NWDA, said:

"RDPE in the Northwest is the largest rural programme at work in the region and Local Action Groups will deliver an essential part from the heart of the communities they serve. This funding is available to improve productivity and growth in rural Lancashire, and could involve projects as varied as helping rural businesses to diversify, providing access to training and skills development or renewable energy installations. It will provide new opportunities, contract-managed by the NWDA, to secure a stronger more sustainable rural economy for Lancashire."

Three separate launch events have been organised based in the three LAG areas for rural businesses to find out more:

• Monday 14th September - Mitton Hall, Mitton, Near Whalley, Clitheroe,

• Wednesday 23rd September – Martin Mere, Burscough

• Wednesday 30th September - Lancaster House Hotel, Lancaster

The free events will feature an introduction to the funds and what sort of projects can be supported, as well as the chance to meet other agencies which can offer support to rural businesses in your area.

For further information and to book a place on one of these events, visit the LEP website: www.lancashire-ep.org.uk and click on Events or contact Nichola Hodson on 01254 300460.