Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
The Government is giving rural businesses a guaranteed £35m to create new jobs, boost tourism and unlock growth.
This figure could rise to £50m if there are enough high-quality applications.
The funding is part of the Government’s Growth Programme and is open for expressions of interest from Monday 4 November. The programme provides grants for rural start-ups and businesses to buy equipment and machinery to grow their business or to open up opportunities for tourism.
A substantial £99m has been granted to 546 local businesses across England so far, creating 3,771 new jobs in rural areas. What’s more, the threshold for minimum grants has come down from £35,000 to £20,000, so more small and micro businesses can be eligible for funding.
Farming minister George Eustice said:
“Our dedicated fund for rural businesses has created more than 3,700 jobs and supported a diverse group of businesses, tourism operations and start-ups to unlock their full potential.
“This next round of funding will help more businesses to grow and local areas to prosper – and I would urge any rural enterprise to look into what this scheme could do for them.”
Paul Caldwell, chief executive of the Rural Payments Agency, added:
“The Growth Programme

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Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
The Government has given out £2m to fund projects aiming to boost productivity and tackle late payments today (11 October).
Up to half of the funding pot is there to encourage businesses to use technology which simplifies invoicing, payment and credit management, ensuring they work as effectively as possible. The funding is part of the Government’s broad package of measures to end the culture of late payments.
This funding comes from the £9m Business Basics programme, which has been running since 2018.  So far, 26 projects have been backed to run trials and develop ideas which encourage SMEs to use technology and more efficient management practices.
The 12 winners of the second round have been announced today. They include Cambridge Judge Business School; the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council; Northumbria University; and Tenshi Consulting Ltd. Funding has been distributed to look at opportunities in online networking, gaming and innovative coaching techniques that boost business productivity.
Small Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst said:
“As a former small business owner, I know how important it is to harness technology to make your business more productive. This is why we’re awarding another £2m from our Business Basics Fund and backing 12 more

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