DEFRA have announced that £35m of funding is available for its Rural Growth Programme Grants.

The grants provide funding for rural businesses to create new jobs, increase business turnover, improve productivity and provide growth in the rural economy. Examples of projects include farm diversification and tourism developments.

The minimum grant threshold is £20,000 (reduced from £35,000) allowing smaller businesses to be eligible, up to a maximum grant of £750,000.

There is a two-stage application process. The first stage is to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) form. The EOI window is expected to be open on Monday 4^th November 2019, with guidance notes and application forms available from this date. The deadline for submitting an EOI will be Sunday 16^th February 2020.

The full news release can be found on the GOV.UK website.