The Rural Start-Up Fund
Overview
Forest Holidays, partners of The Royal Countryside Fund, are passionate about sustainable rural tourism. Ensuring resilient communities and a prosperous local economy means supporting the people living and working at the very heart of the rural sector.
This is why Forest Holidays and The Royal Countryside Fund have teamed up to create The Rural Start-Up Fund, an exciting opportunity for rural businesses to receive financial support as they embark on a new business venture.
One of the biggest barriers to setting up a new business is the initial financial demand, and this, coupled with the challenges of working rurally, is why we are striving to support new entrepreneurs across the UK.
A total of £5,000 is available in the Rural Start-Up Fund in 2023/24 to be awarded to one winning business or shared between a number of rural start-ups. In addition, as part of the Rural Start-Up Fund, the successful applicant(s) will receive mentoring support from a relevant expert in the Forest Holidays team to further guide and support them.
Related areas of expertise include but are not limited to agriculture, animal care, environmental conservation, equine, farriery, food production, forestry, landscaping, land-based engineering and Land Management.
Eligibility Criteria
To apply, you must be:
- Aged 18 and over
- A UK citizen holding a UK passport
- Resident in the UK
- Embarking on a new business/enterprise start-up venture
- Able to demonstrate how your business will, in some way, support rural communities, the countryside, or rural sustainability