Ashford Rural Prosperity Grants are now available to Ashford businesses

Round 2 of the Ashford Rural Prosperity Grant scheme has reopened

It’s all part of Ashford Borough Council’s allocation of the UK Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF). The Council is running various grant schemes in rounds using this funding. They include:

The Energy Efficiency Grant of up to £5,000 (which aims to facilitate energy efficiency projects in commercial premises in rural areas of the Ashford Borough.)

The Energy Transition Grant of up to £15,000 (which aims to facilitate energy transition projects in commercial premises in rural areas of the Ashford Borough).

The Rural Boost Grant of £500 to £3,000 (which aims to facilitate projects in commercial premises in rural areas of for food and drink production businesses and those in the hospitality and tourism sectors).

The Rural Investment Grant of between £3,000 to £10,000 (which aims to support the creation and uptake of start-up space for food and drink producers, hospitality or tourism businesses).

The grants are open for applications until 30 June 2024.

The Rural England Prosperity Fund 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. Therefore, only businesses and projects located within these areas are eligible to receive funding through these proposed schemes.

The Rural England Prosperity Fund is linked to the government’s levelling up agenda, with REPF activity falling within two categories, ‘supporting rural communities’ and ‘supporting rural businesses’.

To find out more and to apply visit the Ashford Borough Council website