Welcome to the Leicestershire Rural Partnership’s Rural Business Support Programme.

This programme offers a wide range of grants to support and stimulate business development and enterprise within rural Leicestershire.

Summaries of all the grant schemes available through this programme are available below or you can access full guidance notes.

Before registering or completing an application form please refer to the general application guidance notes.

Alternatively, you can download a pdf version.

If you have already registered, please log-in here to start completing an application form

Farmers Development Grant Scheme

The principal objective of the Farmers Development Grant is to help farm-based businesses, achieve proposals for development, diversification and income generation, with new or existing enterprises. Aims of the grant are:

• Assist farmers to act upon ideas to diversify, add value or develop environmental schemes (including responses to regulations and best practise)
• Help with identification of training needs and skills development for themselves and employees.
• Assist farmers in purchasing processing and packaging equipment for direct sales activity, security equipment for diversification activities such as farm based livery yard, machinery and equipment improvements, workspace improvements.
• Assisting advertising, communications and PR,
• Assist environmental diversification e.g. fishing lakes, renewable energy sources.

Applicants are eligible up to 50% of costs to a maximum of £5,000. Applicants may apply to the grant scheme more than once but the maximum grant available to any one applicant is limited to £5,000 for farmers over the life of the grant scheme. The award of grants is discretionary and any offer may be at a lower level than applied for, subject to the merits of the application and the availability of funds.

more details

Rural Micro Business Grant

The grant aims to support business development through improvements based upon productivity, profitability and the skill base of employees. Providing specialised support aimed at introducing change, new ideas and improved systems to assist business growth and development.  

Applicants are eligible up to 50% of costs to a maximum of £3,000. Applicants may apply to the grant scheme more than once but the maximum grant available to any one applicant is limited to £3,000 over the life of the grant scheme. The award of grants is discretionary and any offer may be at a lower level than applied for, subject to the merits of the application and the availability of funds.

more details

Rural Visitor Scheme (Development Grant)

A grant scheme to support rural businesses in Leicestershire to diversify and upgrade their services and facilities to provide high-quality accommodation and attractions for visitors

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Redundant Building Grant (Stage 1)

Offers owners of redundant buildings in rural Leicestershire the opportunity to obtain advice and financial assistance towards the introduction of new economic uses for these buildings

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