Richard Martin of our Steering Group represents FLBC at the Economic Development Forum for the Cotswolds.
As a result of being in that group we received information about possible grants for businesses in our area albeit with only a week to register interest this month. We posted this out on our FLBC and Instagram pages as it was too late for the October Newsletter and the deadline was before this newsletter. So – for last minute updates please ensure you are following our FLBC Facebook and/or Instagram.
Information is not always widely shared for all opportunities or districts – so should members come across any initiatives that you don’t think have been widely publicised please forward or email us at admin@flbc.org.uk so we can share it with other members if appropriate.
The registration for this particular funding has now expired but the form is still available if any-one thinks it is worth a late entry.
It might get you on the mailing list for when the full application process is open!
Cotswold District Council has been allocated £764,292 from the Government’s Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) to be spent over two financial years, with £191,073 available in 2023/24 and £573,219 in 2024/25. The REPF provides capital funding to:
- 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
- Support new and improved community infrastructure, providing essential community services and assets for local people and businesses to benefit the local economy
In order to confirm the funding, the council needs to submit an ‘Investment Plan’ to the Government by the end of November setting out how we will use the funds. To help us develop the most effective investment plan possible, we are asking businesses and organisations to submit any project ideas they have. This will help us to understand the types of projects currently being worked on and their scale. Projects must be deliverable by the end of March 2025 and must comply with the REPF guidelines and can be anywhere within the Cotswold District.
Please note that by submitting your ideas you are not committing to undertake the project and neither is the Council committed to funding it. There will be a full application process for local projects once the Council’s Investment Plan has been approved.
Please complete the form by 5pm on Friday 21st October using the following link: https://forms.gle/Q9KJX7bTMvPdsXwq8
