Rural Business Grants which can ‘develop livelihoods’ now open

Steven McLeister, a local artist who used his funding for a laptop to assist with the expansion of his arts business, Precisely Painted.

The scheme is open for applications until Friday, September 11, with grant aid from £500 - £4,999 available for projects costing up to £20,000.

Capital grants up to a maximum of 50% grant rate are available to existing micro enterprises based in a rural area to support them to recover, sustain or grow through DAERA’s Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Programme. Grant aid is available for a range of capital items to help your business recover, become sustainable or to grow and diversify. Eligible items include Computer equipment and software, E-commerce website, new equipment/ machinery, capital costs to facilitate health and safety changes to working practices and alterations to premises needed due to COVID 19 restrictions. The grants can also be used for building works to bring an area of a building back into economic use or improve/change the use of the building.

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Peter Johnston, said: “With almost two thousand rural businesses across the Borough, we have a significant rural community to protect and develop. I would encourage people to apply for these grants which have been extremely welcome previously in maintaining and developing livelihoods.”

Steven McLeister, a local artist who used his funding for a laptop to assist with the expansion of his arts business, Precisely Painted said: “The rural grant has helped me to purchase an up to date Macbook Pro which has allowed me to carry out business online.”

Information on eligibility criteria and how to apply is available at www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk To register for the online information workshop T. 028 25633266

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