Relaunch of Rural Grants

Ashford Borough Council has once again successfully secured funding from the UK Government’s final round of Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), as it seeks to further support rural areas in the borough.

From Ashford Borough Council’s government approved REPF plan, the money will go towards the following capital grant schemes, devised to help businesses and organisations deliver on REPF objectives and assist with much needed support.

Rural Green Business Grants - to provide grants of up to £15,000 to support energy efficiency or energy transition projects in commercial premises in rural parts of the borough.

Rural Place and Provenance Grants - to provide grants of £3.000 or £10,000 to support rural food and drink producers, hospitality and tourism attractions or venues, to increase productivity and sustainability for businesses. In addition, to support the creation of start-up spaces and tackle the ‘Last Mile’ challenge in rural areas, seeking to create viable travel routes to increase visitors to rural destinations.

The Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) is applicable to the rural areas of the Borough as defined by the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for the purposes of this fund. View a map of eligible areas, sourced from Defra [pdf] 569KB.

Find out more from Ashford Borough Council website.