The New Forest Rural SME fund seeks to support the Solent economy by providing grants to rural small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) with potential for economic growth, leveraging in private sector investment, creating or protecting jobs and assisting the rural sector.

The New Forest Rural SME Fund is a competitive fund managed by Natural Enterprise on behalf of the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and New Forest District Council.

This fund is for New Forest based rural SMEs that require capital investment to progress their project which will enable their business to expand and grow and is designed to continue the positive work of LEADER, supporting the New Forest rural economy. The first round of funding (£82,000) must be committed by 31 March 2021.

For more information visit the Business Support pages of the New Forest District Council website

The New Forest LEADER programme has been supporting New Forest businesses and community projects since 2015 and is due to finish in 2020. We anticipate that the remaining grant budget could be fully allocated by Spring 2020 with all successful projects completed, and grant claims submitted, by Autumn 2020.

 

Please note that the New Forest LEADER office will be closed for Christmas from the afternoon of Friday 14th December until Thursday 3 January 2019.

Information about the scheme and how to apply can be found on this website.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish applicants and LAG members a very happy Christmas and New Year.

The New Forest LEADER Programme is re-opening to new Expressions of Interest (the first stage in the application process) –initially until 28 Feb 2019 or until remaining funding is allocated, whichever is sooner.

The EU’s New Forest LEADER grants can be used to fund investment in certain types of buildings, equipment and machinery to help small businesses grow and/or create jobs.

However there is now very limited grant budget still available, so businesses are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

LEADER can grant fund up to 40% of the investment cost (for commercial projects) up to a maximum grant amount of £75,000. The minimum grant amount you can apply for is £5,000. Applications must be approved before the project can start.

Examples of the types of project LEADER can fund include:

• Investment in technology to improve the performance and sustainability of an agricultural/horticultural or forestry holding;

• Construction or conversion of buildings, or the purchase of machinery and equipment, to help small businesses in rural areas to grow or offer new services or products;

• Investment in equipment, technologies or processes to save resources or reduce waste;

• Investment to develop culture, leisure, heritage, visitor activities or attractions

• Investment to develop farm diversification activities;

• Investment in businesses or not for profit organisations which provide services for rural communities i.e. rural retailers, transport etc.

 

New Forest farmers, foresters and rural businesses are benefiting from a £1.4 million EU grant scheme.

The New Forest LEADER Local Action Group, in partnership with New Forest District Council, has recently awarded a £45,000 LEADER grant to Tiptoe based wholesale nursery and horticultural artist Agrumi Ltd.

Agrumi are custom topiary, topiary frame and hedge sculpture experts – creating everything from a replica of Lady Gaga’s stiletto shoes to designs incorporating wifi and 4G relay transmitters at this year’s Glastonbury Festival. Closer to home, Agrumi created the life-sized topiary animals on show at Paultons Park.

LEADER funding for Agrumi means they can build a new, dedicated topiary workshop where the giant topiary structures will be created. The workshop will provide the business with the room to grow and to create an additional two full time jobs. Stanley Jackson, director of Agrumi Ltd said “the grant will be a game changer for us. We’re a small firm with big ambitions. Our success so far has been built from hard work and good market knowledge. Now we’re ready to move to the next level and LEADER is helping us achieve our goals”.

Gerald Lewis, Chairman of the New Forest LEADER Local Action Group commented that “We are pleased to be able to offer financial support to an innovative and expanding local business like Agrumi. Despite the current uncertain economic outlook, we have been very encouraged by the steady stream of enquiries that the New Forest LEADER programme has been receiving from local companies looking to develop their products and services and grow their business. There are a lot of interesting and well researched projects coming forward, each of them representing an investment opportunity that could benefit the local economy for many years to come.”

For further details of other grants awarded to date click here

We are very pleased to report that HM Government has today confirmed that UK businesses will continue to benefit from European-funded grant programmes until the UK formally leaves the EU. This means that farmers, foresters and small rural businesses in the New Forest LEADER area still can take advantage of the LEADER grant scheme. However it is likely that the scheme will finish earlier than planned; we await confirmation of this date.

The LEADER Programme is a source of capital investment funding to promote economic growth and job creation in rural areas. LEADER grants – ranging in value from £2,500 to £50,000 – can be used to fund up to 40% of investment in certain types machinery, equipment and buildings, with successful applicants being required to provide their own match funding for the balance of each project’s costs. LEADER funds originate from the EU and DEFRA, but individual grant applications are assessed and approved locally by independent panels (known as Local Action Groups) representing all facets of the rural community. The New Forest LEADER area includes most of the rural New Forest, together with some adjoining areas in East Dorset (Burton), Southern Test Valley and South Wiltshire.

Since its launch in January 2016, the New Forest LEADER Local Action Group, in partnership with New Forest District Council, has already awarded grants totalling £110,000, with a further £470,000 of outline applications pending. 

We are therefore encouraging potential applicants not to leave it too late to apply. Grant bids cannot be submitted or approved retrospectively for items that have already been purchased or work that has already commenced – and the application process takes approximately 6 months from start to finish – so potential applicants need to plan well ahead in order to submit their grant bids as early as possible in their project’s life-cycle.

The LEADER grant budget is an ever-diminishing pot; so if you are running or starting-up a rural business and are looking to invest in certain types of equipment, machinery or buildings – don’t delay, visit our website at www.newforestleader.org.uk for information on what we can fund and how to apply.  Some types of not-for-profit organisations and activities are also eligible to apply for grant support – again, further information is available on our website.

 

New Forest LEADER will be part of New Forest District Council’s ‘Helping Local Business Grow’ stand at the New Forest Show on 26th, 27th & 28th July 2016.

As well as information on the support available for anyone wishing to start or grow a business in the New Forest, there will be a ‘Business Drop in Zone’ where you can talk with business experts, or network with other businesses.

Staff from the New Forest LEADER programme will also be on the stand to advise you on your project’s eligibility for a LEADER grant and to talk you through the application process.

Further details to follow….

New Forest District Council’s ‘Helping Local Business Grow’ will be in Block 24, adjacent to the Hoburne Ring.

 

A question and answer session on LEADER funding for the forestry sector will be part of the ‘Pie and Pint’ evenings run by the Forest Commission. New Forest LEADER will be attending the event at Broughton, in Hampshire on 10th February 2016.

The ‘Pie and Pint’ evenings are a series of local events for forestry contractors and owner-producers to provide a detailed overview of the grants available via the Rural Development Programme for England (2014 – 2010) and practical advice on how to apply.

To register, go to the Forestry Commission website at http://www.forestry.gov.uk