£3m fund unveiled for East Mids rural businesses
Businesses and organisations are being encouraged to bid into a £3m fund to boost the rural economy in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Money for three programmes is now available via the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) portion of D2N2’s current European Union funding. D2N2 LEP is the private-sector led partnership of businesses, local authorities, skills and training providers, and community and voluntary services promoting economic and jobs growth in Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
Rural businesses looking to improve demand for agricultural and horticultural products, or to create jobs, or companies or organisations wishing to improving countryside cycle networks for tourism or recreation use, can apply for support.
Peter Richardson, chair of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Around a third of jobs in the D2N2 LEP’s area are in rural areas, but employers there tend to have less access to the benefits of infrastructure and business development opportunities in urban areas.
“Targeted funding via D2N2, such as the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development grants now available, help level the playing field; growing jobs and businesses which people living in rural areas rely on.”
In 2013, Government asked England’s Local Enterprise Partnerships to draw up a six year strategy for how they would spend a European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) allocation. D2N2’s innovative strategy saw it awarded one of the largest allocations of any LEP, receiving € 250million for projects, to be spent in its area up to 2020. The three main EU funds within the ESIF are the European Regional Development Fund, European Social Fund and EAFRD.
