Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA): Rural Business Development Grant Scheme (RBDGS) 2024/2025

Overview

Background to Grant Programme

The Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Programme’s (TRPSI) Rural Business Development Grant Scheme aims to support the sustainability and growth of rural micro-businesses across Northern Ireland by providing a small capital grant for the business. The TRPSI Programme is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and this grant aid Programme is administered and managed by local Councils.

Level of Grant Aid

The Scheme can provide funding of up to 50% of costs for capital items up to a maximum of £4,999. The minimum grant awarded will be £500. The total cost of the capital project must be a minimum of £1,000 and must not exceed £20,000. Applicants must provide the remaining match funding towards the project.

This is a competitive process and all grants awarded will be determined on the basis of merit.

Who Can Apply:

• The business is based in a rural area.
• The business currently employs less than 10 full-time equivalent employees.
• The business is an existing, registered private Business or Soical Economy Enterprise that is actively trading commercially; evidenced by provding your self-assessment number or Limited Company details and sales turnover details.
• Sports Clubs and Community Groups can only be considered if they are commercially trading and generate sales revenue from selling goods and services to customers who are not exclusively Club or Commercial Group members. The grant can only be used to support the sustainability, survival and/or development of this commercial element, and not for the club or community group of its own. Projects that can be supported from other funding sources, such as Sport NI, are not eligible to be considered under this scheme.
• The business is appropriately insured or prepared to obtain appropriate insurance if awarded a grant (building, contents or public liability insurance as appropriate).
• The applicant has a dedicated bank account used by the business.
• Two price checks or written quotes have been provided for items as required.
• The applicant is 18 or above at the application deadline.
• The applicant has attended a pre-funding workshop.
• The business can deliver the project, pay suppliers, and submit a grant claim in the given timeframe.
• Only one application can be accepted per business/ legal entity.

What can be funded:

This is a capital grant scheme to support the purchase of new capital items of equipment or machinery or to set up an e-commerce website. The minimum spend on one, or a combination of, eligible items is £1,000 and your project must not cost more than £20,000. If you are VAT registered, the lower and upper thresholds are based on net cost of items. If you are not VAT registered, the lower and upper thresholds are based on gross cost of items.

The maximum number of items, or grouping of items that you can purchase under this scheme is six.

Examples of eligible expenditure includes:

• Computer equipment, eg computer, laptop, printer.
• Computer software (outright purchase; ongoing license fees are not eligible).
• E-commerce websites to allow online purchase capabilities.
• New equipment/ machinery.
• Mobile machinery, such as scissor lifts, forklifts, ride-on lawn mowers.