Rural Prosperity Fund

Capital grant funding for small scale investment in micro and small enterprises in rural areas

Examples could include:

• Creation and expansion of rural leisure and tourism businesses. E.g., creating event venues or farm tourism facilities such as accommodation, wedding venues and leisure facilities. 
• Purchase of equipment for food processing for non-farmer-owned businesses. E.g., purchasing new process and packaging machinery such as brewing equipment and onsite vending machines, equipping development kitchens, or modernising existing kitchen equipment for increased energy efficiency or increased productivity. 
• Funding for resilience infrastructure and nature-based solution that protect local businesses and community areas from natural hazards including flooding. 
• Environmental improvements ie: Solar Panels/LED lights (Please note a government approved supplier would be required)

Capital grant funding for developing and promoting the visitor economy

Examples could include:

• Development of local visitor trails and infrastructure to support this such as information boards or visitor centres. 
• Grants for the development of local tourist attractions 
• Development of local visitor experiences based on the local offer. 

Capital grant funding for local arts, cultural, heritage and creative activities  

Examples could include:

• Capital grants for provision of maker spaces 
• Capital grants for local art galleries, museums and libraries for altering premises or providing spaces for exhibitions to support displays for artists to showcase work.  
• Capital grants to enable cultural, heritage and creative events and provision of venues for locally-led: music and theatre performances, tours, author events, film screenings.  

Capital grant funding for investment in capacity building and infrastructure support for local civil society and community groups

Examples could include:

• Capital grants for provision of net zero infrastructure for rural communities and to support rural tourism activity. E.g., EV charging points, community energy schemes, such as scaled up biomass, heat pumps or solar. (Please note a government approved supplier would be required)
• Capital grants for kitchens in community hubs which can support food and drink entrepreneurs get accreditation for food production.  
• Funding for resilience infrastructure and nature-based solutions that protect local businesses and community areas from natural hazards including flooding.

Capital grant funding for impactful volunteering and social action projects

Examples could include:

• Capital grants to enable people to develop volunteering and social action projects locally. E.g., purchase of equipment, improvements to premises to enable local volunteering groups such as youth charities, carers groups or support groups.

Capital grant funding for creation and improvements to local rural green spaces

Examples could include:

• Capital grants to establish or enhance rural green and blue infrastructure including community gardens, green spaces, watercourses, and embankments, greening of streets and paths, or incorporating natural features into wider public spaces.