Rural business in Gedling borough have just a few weeks left to bid for their share of £1.3m in funding available to support the rural economy and new jobs.
Grants of up to £170,000 are available through the South Nottinghamshire Leader programme until the application period closes on January 31.
The funding programme, which is being administered by Nottinghamshire County Council, is available to support a wide range of projects, including:
- Rural tourism
- New and expanding small and micro businesses, including farm diversification
- Increasing farm productivity
- Providing services to rural communities
- Improving forestry productivity
Cllr Kay Cutts, Leader of Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Compared to their counterparts in urban areas, rural businesses can sometimes feel like the poor relation when it comes to grant funding to help with things like investment in new technology, improving village services or new start-ups.
“But rural businesses can play a really important role in creating jobs, encouraging tourism and growing our economy, so I am pleased that, through the Leader programme, much-needed support is being provided to help develop the potential of our rural areas.
“I would encourage rural businesses in south Nottinghamshire to bid for funding, whether it be for new machinery for farm production or building a premises for a new business, creating tourism opportunities or improving village services.”
LEADER, which stands for ‘Liaison Entre Actions pour le Development de L’Economie Rurale’, is EU funding sourced through the Rural Development Programme for England.
For further information about the South Nottinghamshire Leader programme, visit the website www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/leadersouth or contact Craig Edson, South Nottinghamshire LEADER Programme Officer on 0115 977 2686.
