The aim of the workshop is to facilitate engagement and to promote the Fund in the heart of rural West Yorkshire and to take potential applicants through the process, including tips on making a strong application to the Fund.

Join us in the upcoming funding opportunity workshops for the Rural England Prosperity Fund (“The Rural Fund”, part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund) - exclusively for businesses based within rural areas of West Yorkshire.

Small rural businesses with up to 50 employees can apply for capital grant funding of between £10,000 and £50,000.

We are also pleased to confirm that social enterprises and charities, if set up as a trading arm, are eligible for the Rural Fund in West Yorkshire so do not miss out on this opportunity to benefit your business.

The Rural Fund supports activities that specifically address some of the challenges rural areas face including:

• Lower productivity rates

• Poorer connectivity

• Poorer access to key services

The Rural Fund in West Yorkshire is being operated as a capital grants project for small businesses of up to 50 employees to help to improve productivity and strengthen the rural economy and rural communities. The fund aims to cover the following areas:

• Business development to implement new innovative technologies, processes, or equipment to improve productivity and competitiveness providing benefits to the wider rural economy,

• Food processing for business development but also implementing automation.

• Visitor economy / tourism infrastructure to support a mix of business and community infrastructure grants.

Total funding of £2,567,501 has been allocated to West Yorkshire.

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