This section of the website provides information on all the bidding rounds and grants under the Rural Enterprise Grant as part of the RDPE Programme 2007 to 2013.

The Rural Enterprise Grant (REG) is a capital grants programme (for grants £62,500 and below) funded under the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) and is available to farmers and specific rural micro-businesses in the West Midlands region.

The REG, which is administered by Herefordshire Council, can fund small scale diversification and business development projects for the benefit of rural businesses. Funds are available for eligible applicants for investments in Environmental Technologies, Food and Drink, Tourism and Livestock related activities.

How do i apply for a Rural Enterprise Grant?

  1. Read the REG information leaflet located in the 'Related Documents'.

  2. Then contact the REG Scheme Manager at Herefordshire Council to discuss your proposal and confirm that you, where you live and your project may be eligible for funding.

  3. If it looks as if you are eligible the Scheme Manager will ask you to complete a Stage 1 Enquiry Form, which can be downloaded in Word or PDF format. You will also need to complete a State Aid declaration to let us know if you have received public funding over the last 3 years.

  4. If the details of your project meet the initial criteria and priorities of the scheme, the Scheme Manager will invite you to complete a full application.

  5. If you have not already done so, the Scheme Manager will also put you in touch with Business Link West Midlands who will help you assess any need for training or business advice. Funding is conditional on this.  

How do I find out more?

More information on REG bidding rounds is available by selecting the documents located in the 'Related Documents' section to the right or by contacting Advantage West Midlands or Herefordshire Council through the details shown below.

Rural Development Programme for England Business Support is part of Solutions for Business, the Government's package of publicity funded business support delivered to help companies start and grow. More information on Solutions for Business is available here.

Your Advantage West Midlands contact

Bob Gregson
RDPE Manager
bobgregson@advantagewm.co.uk
T: 0121 380 3623

Jamie Inglis
Rural Policy Manager (RDPE)
jamieinglis@advantagewm.co.uk
T: 0121 503 3226

Jo Jury
Tourism Support Manager
jojury@advantagewm.co.uk
T: 0121 503 3220

For more information on applying contact Herefordshire Council at:

Dorothy Coleman
REG Scheme Manager
dmc@herefordshire.gov.uk
T: 01432 383616
Caroline Cattle
REG Scheme Manager
ccattle@herefordshire.gov.uk
T: 01432 260662