Rural Community and Social Enterprise Grants
Financial assistance is available for community organisations and social enterprises to deliver basic services in rural areas of South West England.
Rural Community and Social Enterprise Grants are provided by the South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWRDA)as part of the region's Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).
The scheme will provide funding for not-for-profit groups, charities, community enterprises,
cooperatives and parish councils to deliver basic services in local rural communities.
For the purposes of the programme, a "basic service" is defined as:
"A service that contributes to maintaining or improving the quality of life for people living in rural communities."
Examples of possible basic services include:
Providing wider access to childcare or retail services.
Local renewable energy projects.
Small-scale transport initiatives.
Creating new local shops or community facilities.
Key Criteria
The fund is open to applications from a wide range of formally constituted organisations, including:
· Not-for-profit groups.
· Registered charities.
· Community enterprises.
· Parish councils.
· Co-operatives.
· Social enterprises.
Applicants must be based:
· In the South West of England.
· In a "rural community", which is defined to include small towns with a population of fewer than 10,000 people.
Applications must demonstrate:
· Viability.
· Sustainability.
· Value for money.
Further Information
Along with grant funding, the programme will also provide community and social enterprises expert advice
and support to improve their overall viability - this strand will be up and running early in 2010.
Application Procedure
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Interested organisations should initially submit an expression of interest to determine eligibility. Successful bidders at this stage will be
invited to complete a more in-depth application.
Organisations are advised that the application process could take up to three months.
Contact the RDPE Team at the SWRDA for further information.
Addresses and contacts
For further information on how to obtain this funding opportunity locally, please contact the following:
Contact details:
Enquiries
South West of England Regional Development Agency (SWRDA)
RDPE Team
Sterling House
Dix's Field
Exeter
EX1 1QA
