Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA): Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme

Open or will open again Buildings and built environment Community and neighbourhood development Community development environment Health promotion Health, wellbeing and sport Information Technology Miscellaneous Rural development Social inclusion Social welfare and poverty Antrim & Newtownabbey Ards & North Down Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon Belfast City Causeway Coast and Glens Derry City and Strabane Fermanagh and Omagh Lisburn and Castlereagh Mid and East Antrim Mid Ulster Newry, Mourne and Down Northern Ireland Micro (up to £1,000) Small (up to £10,000)

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Overview

This Scheme is funded under the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Programme. The key aim of the TRPSI Programme is to assist in tackling poverty and social isolation within rural communities across Northern Ireland, and, in line with the draft Green Growth Strategy for Northern Ireland provide opportunities to implement environmental improvements / energy efficiency measures. More information on the TRPSI Programme Framework is provided at Annex 3.

Key objectives

The Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme 2024/2025 has been designed to:

Help rural community-led, voluntary groups to address local issues of access poverty, financial poverty and social isolation;
Improve the lives of rural communities, and in particular the wellbeing of isolated individuals; and,
In line with the draft Green Growth Strategy for Northern Ireland provide opportunity to community-led, voluntary groups to implement energy efficiency measures / environmental improvements.

If you would like more information about the Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme please contact your local Rural Support Network (RSN).

Applicants to the Scheme can apply for a minimum grant of £500 up to a maximum grant of £2,000, with a minimum of 15% match funding required from those organisations applying. The scheme is being delivered by Rural Support Networks on behalf of DAERA.

The Grant Scheme

Micro Capital grants between £500 and £2,000 are available to rural community-led, voluntary organisations for projects tackling issues of local poverty and / or social isolation, and / or implementing energy efficiency measures / environmental improvements. Projects must focus on one of the following four themes:

Modernisation (of building(s) / assets).
Information Communication Technology (ICT).
Health and Wellbeing.
Energy Efficiency* / Environment Improvement**.

The Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme can offer grant aid from 50% up to 85% of the total eligible cost of your project. NB: The total project cost must not exceed £4,000. Match funding for your contribution of at least 15% must be in the form of a ‘cash’ contribution. Labour or ‘in-kind’ contributions will not be accepted.

In order to ensure that as many groups as possible get the opportunity to benefit from this Scheme, organisations can only make one application to the Scheme.

What can be funded?

Grant aid can only be used to meet costs associated with capital equipment, the improvement of a capital asset and / or the extension of the useable life of a capital asset. Groups can apply for a wide range of capital items, such as office equipment, furniture, sports goods, kitchen fittings and minor capital works to improve premises. NB: Please note that clothing and consumables e.g. ink, paper, etc. are ineligible

Eligible items must clearly relate to the key themes of (i) Modernisation, (ii) ICT, (iii) Health & Wellbeing, or (iv) Implement energy efficiency* / environmental improvements measures**.

*To encourage local communities to implement energy efficiency / environmental improvements eligible costs may include, e.g., draft proofing, double glazed windows, change of lighting to LED, light sensors/timers, insulation, replace kettles with a water boiler.

**Environmental improvements eligible costs may include the purchase of 100% gardening equipment, e.g. tunnel kits, pots, spades, hoes and raised beds. A maximum 15% of the overall project costs may be used to purchase plants, trees, hedges, flowers etc. (Plants / shrubs / flowers must be perennial, i.e. plants that live multiple seasons).

Your organisation must ensure that all actions undertaken in relation to this project comply with the relevant statutory requirements and legislation in existence during the lifetime of the project. Projects involving work to modernise a building will only be accepted from either the owner or leasee. Only one application can be accepted per building.

Who can apply?

You can apply for a Micro Capital grant if:

you are a rural community or voluntary organisation or Social Economy Enterprise who requires fundind for a project tackling a local issue of poverty and / or social isolation. NB: Evidence will be required from the group constitution and accounts to prove all the criterion is met;
the organisation is based in a rural area. A definition of rural is detailed at Annex 1;
you have a formal Constitution or governing documents;
you have a minimum of three people on your management committee (this must be clearly detailed within your constitution or governing documents);
you have a bank or building society account in the name of your group, which requires at least two signatures for each withdrawal (this must be clearly detailed within your constitution or governing documents);
you can enclose copy of your most recent Accounts or a signed Financial Statement. The Financial Statement must be signed by a person in authority within your organisation, i.e. Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer, or provided with the authority to act on the organisation’s behalf; If the latter is the case, evidence of permission must be uploaded to the online system.
you need a capital grant between £500 and £2,000 for a specific poverty or social isolation project
You are the sole applicant and owner OR leasee of the building for which the application to RMCGS 2024/2025 is being made.
you can provide two quotes (net after taking into account recoverable VAT) for each item to be purchased. Delivery costs can be included as an additional cost. NB: Online quotes (e.g., Amazon) cannot be from the same supplier. Where delivery costs are being claimed, these must be detailed on all relevant quotes.
your organisation can deliver the project, pay the supplier(s) and submit a grant claim 25 October 2024 (including reimbursement of credit cards / loans);
you are appropriately insured or prepared to obtain appropriate insurance if awarded a grant (building or contents insurance as appropriate).