PLEASE NOTE THIS GRANT IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR BATH AND NORTH EAST SOMERSET.
The Rural England Prosperity Fund is designed to improve productivity and strengthen the rural economy and rural communities.
For this fund, Defra’s classification of rural areas is:
- towns, villages and hamlets with populations below 10,000 and the wider countryside
- market or ‘hub towns’ with populations of up to 30,000 that serve their surrounding rural areas as centres of employment and in providing services (this will exclude funding of projects in Taunton, Bridgwater and Yeovil).
The Rural Fund provides capital funding to
- Support new and improved community infrastructure, providing essential community services and assets for local people and businesses to benefit the local economy. Projects must be in a rural area, and
- Support new and existing rural businesses to develop new products and facilities that will be of wider benefit to the local economy. This includes farm businesses looking to diversify income streams, but not into food and drink.
Grants of between £5,000 and £75,000 are available, with an anticipated average award of £40,000. Applicants will need 50 percent match funding for their project.
Any legally constituted organisation in the public, private and community/voluntary sectors can apply. This includes Town and Parish Councils. Organisations registered outside Somerset may apply but activity must take place within Somerset.
Please note that grants are paid retrospectively therefore payments will only be made against cleared spend.
The new 2025/26 programme opened on 1 May 2025. Applications will be assessed as part of a rolling programme through to Wednesday 31 December 2025 or until all funds have been allocated.
As grants will be awarded on a "first-come, first-served" basis, early application is advised.
Further information is available on the Somerset Council website.