Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF)

The Rural England Prosperity Fund is an allocation of funding made to Tendring District Council (TDC), and other Councils nationally, to support rural businesses and communities as part of the wider programme of Levelling Up, and linked to other opportunities available via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. 

Therefore, businesses and community groups are now encouraged to apply for grants through REPF, with further details below on the specifics of each programme. 

REPF for Businesses

The Rural England Prosperity Fund Business Grants Scheme allows for rural businesses across Tendring (‘rural’ as defined by DEFRA’s Magic Maps platform, viewable by clicking here) to apply for between £5,000 and £20,000 for capital works to diversify or expand their operations or adopt new technologies to the business.

Grants must be matched with at least 25% funding from private sources (so, if the total project cost is £10,000, a REPF grant could fund a maximum of £7,500). Match funding can be either revenue or capital. £20,000 in grant funding is the maximum a business can receive from this Scheme but is not a cap on the total project cost. Unfortunately, due to DEFRA Guidelines, we cannot support projects which received support from any of the following:

• The Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme
• The Farming Investment Fund
• The Platinum Jubilee Village Hall Improvement Grant Fund

Applications are welcomed from businesses in any sector. Applications received will be assessed for the project’s eligibility and value for money, and then a recommendation made to a Panel of Councillors for discussion and decision on whether to grant/reject the application. It is anticipated that, with all relevant documents provided, an application could receive a decision within 6 weeks of submission.

This Grant Fund will allocate nearly £100,000 this financial year, and will remain open for applications until the funding is allocated. It is anticipated that further funding will become available for 2024/25. This is a competitive process and applications which can demonstrate strong need, wider benefit, and value for money will have the best chance of success.

To apply please use the application form linked below and submit a completed copy, alongside relevant supporting documents including but not limited to evidence of costings, accounts, any relevant licences/permissions if required, to tendring4growth@tendringdc.gov.uk. Any queries can be sent to the same email address, which is monitored by TDC’s Economic Growth Team.

REPF for Communities

The Rural England Prosperity Fund Community Grants Scheme allows for rural not-for-profit organisations across Tendring (‘rural’ as defined by DEFRA’s Magic Maps platform, viewable by clicking here) to apply for between £1,000 and £20,000 for capital works improve perceptions of their local area, increase use of existing facilities and support local community programmes.

There is no match funding requirement as standard, however as REPF can only support capital works, applicants should think about any revenue elements of their project and how they could be funded from elsewhere; both in delivering the project in the first place and also any ongoing maintenance/repair costs which may be involved.

£20,000 in grant funding is the maximum an organisation can receive from this Scheme but is not a cap on the total project cost. Unfortunately, due to DEFRA Guidelines, we cannot support projects which received support from any of the following:

• The Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme
• The Farming Investment Fund
• The Platinum Jubilee Village Hall Improvement Grant Fund

A 2-stage application process is in place:

• A simplified Stage 1 Form which will provide TDC with basic information on the organisation, the project, and the anticipated costs. If eligible, the organisation will be invited to apply a Stage 2 form.
• The Stage 2 form is more in depth, designed to provide assessors with further detail so that an informed decision can be made. An invitation to complete a Stage 2 does not guarantee that a grant will be awarded.

Applications received will be assessed for the project’s eligibility and value for money, and then a recommendation made to a Panel of Councillors for discussion and decision on whether to grant/reject the application. It is anticipated that, with all relevant documents provided, an application could receive a decision within 8 weeks of submission.

This Grant Fund will allocate nearly £70,000 this financial year, and will remain open for applications until the funding is allocated. It is anticipated that further funding will become available for 2024/25. This is a competitive process and applications which can demonstrate strong need, wider benefit, and value for money will have the best chance of success.

To apply please use the Stage 1 application form linked below and submit a completed copy, to tendring4growth@tendringdc.gov.uk. Supporting documents including but not limited to evidence of costings, accounts, any relevant licences/permissions if required will be requested at Stage 2 if invited. Any queries can be sent to the same email address, which is monitored by TDC’s Economic Growth Team.