The Rural England Prosperity Fund is a government fund that has been developed to provide further support to rural areas and address the unique challenges they face. This will be achieved through the delivery of capital grants of between £1k – £15k to fund suitable projects for the purposes of strengthening the rural economy and the local community infrastructure.
The aim of the Rural Fund is 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.
- Support local arts, cultural, heritage and creative activities.
Key Eligibility Criteria
| Eligible Organisations | Ineligible Organisations |
| The proposed investment/project will take place solely in the eligible rural area. | You will not be eligible to apply for funding for projects that are already receiving grant funding from other Defra schemes. |
| Must be a new or existing business/community organisation with fewer than 50 employees. | You will not be eligible to apply for grant funding for any project work that has already started or has been completed. |
| Organisations who have applied previously and been unsuccessful. | You will not be eligible to apply for grant funding if you have previously been successful through this process or any other Defra scheme in the past three years. |
Key Information
Available: Now
Can I apply if my business is not trading yet? Yes
Eligible location: Identified as a rural area referenced by DEFRA magic map* – click here
*Please note: the administrative boundaries for the Rural England Prosperity Fund are defined and set by Defra (Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), the map above has been developed to recreate the REPF eligible area shown on Defra’s Magic Maps tool.
Total allocation of funding: £187,000
Award available: £1k – £15k
Funding match required: 0%
Award type: Reimbursement grant – once approved, projects must be completed and paid in full before receipt of a grant award, pending approval.
Application Window
The application window for the Rural England Prosperity Fund – Round 3 is the following:
| Application window opens | Application window closes |
| 31 July 2025 | 5 September 2025 (5pm) |
Delivered by Tees Valley Combined Authority, in partnership with Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council.
If you are having difficulties completing your application for the Rural England Prosperity Fund and require further guidance, you can contact the Business Engagement Team for support by emailing business@redcar-cleveland.gov.uk
