carol@peakdistrictfarming.co.uk
Tel: 07772828562
HomeNewsletterSitemap
Print-friendly version
Peak District Farming > editorial and features > business and finance

business and finance

Visit, Stay & Save Peak District & Derbyshire
You're advised to seek professional help with grants.  This is intended as an overview to a very complex minefield of funds & a plethora of offical administrative bodies who deal with them.  Each section has links to obtain more information directly from the horses mouth.  Try and get hold of an application form and notes for guidance so you can get to grips with the requirements in your own time.  We need more plain english.

Rural Businesses & Grants

The rural development programme england (rdpe) is administered in the east midlands by the east midlands development agency (emda). Fortunately, they're the only 4-word acronyms in the section so the worst is over.  The interesting part is that they are charged with allocating grants and will mainly target land-based businesses in the region including farmers, foresters and horticulturists.

The rdpe is jointly funded by the eu, through the european agricultural fund for rural development, and the government. 

The rdpe 2007-2013 has a budget of £3.9 billion.  This is more than double the budget available for the previous programme which ran from 2000-2006.

£3.3 billion of the total budget will be allocated to agri-environment and other land management schemes.  This funding will help farmers to manage the land more sustainably and deliver important outcomes on biodiversity, landscape and access, water quality and climate change.


Some £600 million will be made available to make agriculture and forestry more competitive and sustainable and to enhance opportunity in rural areas.

The criteria for projects to be eligible for grant funding includes:

  • adding value to agricultural, horticultural or forestry products – including the development of new products, processes and technologies
  • improving co-operation and collaboration between businesses to improve efficiency – including infrastructure and equipment investments
  • promoting diversification in the rural economy.
If you've got an idea that requires grants to bring it together, why not check out the potential for funding under the rural development programme from the outset?


Please follow the links below for rdpe on defra's website
http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/rdpe/index.htm

and from the european commission website.
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rurdev/index_en.htm



Any green ideas?

peakdistrictfarming.co.uk covered a news article on 25 february 2009 about a proposal to create power from farm slurry during the latest round of grant allocations from the Peak District Sustainable Development Fund.

Village action group Sustainable Youlgrave has been allocated £20,000 for a detailed feasibility study into setting up the region’s first community-run anaerobic digester.  Such a plant would generate biogas or electricity from natural farm wastes such as slurry and vegetable matter. Its by-product would be eco-friendly fertiliser.

The Peak District National Park Authority receives £200,000 a year from Defra to distribute through the Sustainable Development Fund so if you, or your community, have a 'green' idea or proposal for your farm businesses it may be worth checking out eligibility for this type of grant.

For more details www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/sdf  or call the scheme administrator on 01629 816312.



Female entrepreneurs' funding

According to a womens' task force, women-owned businesses, on average, utilise only half to a third of the investment capital that male-owned businesses use to fund their businesses.  That sounds like a conservative investment on the part of women. 

For more information, please visit www.womensenterprise.co.uk

 

Rural development funding in the east midlands
The Rural Development Programme for England (rdpe) is funded by Defra and the European Union and runs from 2007 – 2013.  emda is responsible for delivering the socio–economic elements of RDPE in the East Midlands.  Natural England and the Forestry Commission, are responsible for managing the environmental schemes within the region.

£60m of grant funding is available from emda to support land based businesses currently operating in the farming, forestry and horticulture sectors throughout the region to bring wider benefits for the region’s economy.

In the east midlands, rdpe will focus on ‘competitiveness, collaboration and diversification’ and the criteria for eligible projects includes:

  • adding value to agricultural, horticultural or forestry products – including the development of new products, processes and technologies;
  • improving co-operation and collaboration between businesses to improve efficiency – including infrastructure and equipment investments; and
  • promoting diversification in the rural economy.
Defra has prescribed a proportion of the budget specifically for livestock businesses. This funding will focus on projects that improve competitiveness, nutrient management or animal health and welfare in east midlands livestock sector.

Funding is also available for skills development in rural businesses and organisations.  This will be focused on training in management and business development.

Part of the programme targets rural communities as part of the LEADER Approach – projects where local groups decide and agree their own priorities and needs. Local Action Groups were invited to bid for a portion of the funding to help improve the quality of life and economic prosperity of their community through small scale innovative projects.
Further information on rdpe is available at
website: www.emda.org.uk/rdpe
email : rdpe@emd.org.uk  
phone: 0115 947 1797

Responsibility for delivery of agri-environment schemes (such as environmental stewardship) and of the energy crops scheme is the responsibility of natural england.  The forestry schemes lies with the forestry commission.

Forestry commission contacts
Will Rolls - william.rolls@forestry.gsi.gov.uk (RDPE Contact)
Andy Hall - andy.hall@forestry.gsi.gov.uk (Regional Director East Midlands) 01623 821474

Natural england contacts
Sue Buckenham - sue.buckenham@naturalengland.org.uk , 0115 900 5446
Ruth Fish - ruth.fish@naturalengland.org.uk 01476 580800


LEADER funding

This funding comes directly from the rural development funds.  Key facts:
1.  will fund between 25% - 50% eligible project costs, including professional services, market research etc
2.  total project funding will be between £25,000 - £250,000  therefore is relevant to big projects although smaller ones will be considered.
3.  it will proportionally cover second hand equipment costs
4.  anyone who is part of the farming family is eligible

Eligible projects include:
  • diversification
  • small entrepreneurial enterprises that create jobs
  • rural tourism 
  • conservation of rural heritage and culture
  • training, business skills and technical awareness.
For additional information about leader funding in the peak district for farmers click here :http://www.ddep.co.uk/rural-forum/peak-district-rural-action-zone/


First stop for peak district farmers

If this page seems complicated, don't worry.  There's a  specialist 'peak district land management advisory service' at the agricultural business centre in bakewell every monday, between 9:30am and 3:30pm (to coincide with market day) where you can meet an adviser for initial advice and who can show you relevant information.

The adviser can also direct you to more specialist advice.  This is a free-a non commercial service to help you understand how to apply for grants etc.
peakdistrictfarming.co.uk the plough inn , main road , flagg , buxton , derbyshire, SK179QR, United Kingdom - Show map - Tel: 07772828562 Email: carol@peakdistrictfarming.co.uk
Copyright © peakdistrictfarming.co.uk 2010. Peak District Cottages by Peak District Online and Peak District Hotels by Peak District Online.