Programme Content

The RDPE will focus on a number of priorities which have been agreed in partnership with a range of industry representatives and private businesses:

• Food and Drink
o Skills, training and knowledge transfer
o Supply chain development
o Competitiveness
o Trade and consumer awareness

 Tourism
o Sustainable tourism
o Environmental improvements
o Food tourism
o e-tourism

• Environmental technologies
o Environmentals goods and services
o Support innovation
o New markets
o Networking
o Training and skills
o Sites and premises

• Support for the livestock industry
o Knowledge transfer
o Efficient production
o Improve livestock quality
o Promote best practice
o Promote understanding of Environmental Legislation
o Animal health and welfare

• Community infrastructure, cohesion and development
o Places to meet, ‘recreate’ and communicate
o Inclusive and participative governance
o Develop and maintain voluntary groups and activities
o Positive culture of enterprise and economic purpose
o Access to ‘fit for purpose’ housing

• Environmental Stewardship; the new Energy Crops Scheme and the English Woodland Grant Scheme
o Conserve wildlife (biodiversity)
o Maintain and enhance landscape
o Protect the historic environment
o Natural resource protection and promote public access &  understanding of the countryside
o Mitigate climate change
o Create and manage woodlands

For more information on the priorities, select the individual sections via the left hand menu or through the links below. An explanation of how the Programme will be implmented in the region is explained in the Regional Implmentation Plan. This is available to download from the 'Related Documents'.

Rural Capital Grant Schemes

Rural Capital Grant Schemes

Advantage West Midlands will be developing a series of small capital grant schemes through the RDPE programme.

Strategic Investment Grants

Strategic Investment Grants

Strategic Investment Grants are one of the delivery channels for the RDPE.

Action Plans

Action Plans

In order to focus clearly on the region’s agreed priorities Advantage West Midlands have developed and approved four Action Plans, covering an initial £25 million of funds, addressing four specific sectors.


Community Infrastructure, Cohesion and Development (LEADER)

Community Infrastructure, Cohesion and Development (LEADER)

LEADER is the chosen approach to deliver the social and community measures of RDPE.


Your Advantage West Midlands contact

Emma Smith
Euorpean Programme Coordinator
rdpeenquires@advantagewm.co.uk
T: 0121 503 3222

For additional information contact your local Rural Hub:

Frances Beatty
Staffordshire Rural Hub
Frances.beatty@googlemail.com
T: 01889 508784

Carrie Robbins
Warwickshire Rural Hub
info@ruralhub.org.uk
T: 02476 858242

Cathy Meredith
Herefordshire Rural Hub
meredithc@hct.ac.uk
T: 01432 870033

Pauline Yardley
Worcestershire Rural Hub
pyardley@vcoll.ac.uk
T: 01905 622940

Victoria Jones
Shropshire Rural Hub
shropsruralhub@wnsc.ac.uk
T: 01939 262106