Rural England Prosperity Fund – coming soon
If you’re based in Vale of White Horse, visit our Vale of White Horse District Council website.
South Oxfordshire District Council will soon be opening the next round of the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF). While the final policy for the scheme is making its way through our democratic approvals process, we wanted to share some advanced information with potential applicants to help them prepare ahead of the application window opening.
What can REPF fund?
REPF provides capital grant funding 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 outside of agriculture.
- Support new and improved community infrastructure, providing essential community services and assets for local people and businesses to benefit the local economy.
The exact availability of local funding will be confirmed once our final policy is approved and we will publish full details as soon as possible. In the meantime, outline details on the scheme can be found in the REPF prospectus, including funding themes and investment priorities.
How much can I apply for?
This is subject to review within the democratic approval process, but funding should be available in grants of between £2,500 and £30,000. The council’s total budget for the scheme is £219,934.
When can I apply?
We’re hoping to be up and running in June. Further details on the scheme will be published ASAP and once the scheme is live, we will publish a link to the application forms via our South and Vale Business Support newsletter and on this page. If you do not receive our updates, please let us know and we will add you to our mailing list.
Please note that there is likely to be a limited application window. If you have a project that fits any of the themes outlined in the REPF prospectus and would like to discuss it with us, or have any questions about the scheme, please get in touch.
What can I do to prepare?
We invite those who are interested in the scheme to prepare the documents you will need to apply before the scheme opens. Applicants will need the following:
- A copy of the latest statements for any bank/building society accounts in the name of the organisation, as identified in the application and on their constitution or company documentation.
- Evidence that the organisation is located within an eligible REPF area. This could be official correspondence (utility bill, bank statement, HMRC letters etc) in the organisation’s name with a Magic Maps eligible address and postcode shown.
- Two formal quotes for the project for any building work. Professional estimates or quantity surveys are not acceptable.
- A breakdown of the budget for the project.
- Evidence of the secured match funding for the project. This could be bank statements showing the funds available, or grant offer letters showing the amount of funding offered. Failure to provide evidence of secured match funding will result in application’s being deemed ineligible, and they will not be presented to the grant panel. Only projects costing less than £10,000 and requesting full project funding do not need to provide this.
- Copies of any necessary planning permissions, listed building, diocese faculty, landlord or Head lease consents, compliance with any restrictions on the property title and other relevant permissions. Please note that we cannot fund planning permission and building regulations costs. We may request evidence that planning permission is not needed for some projects, such as installation of bike racks or other building improvement works.
- Evidence of ownership of the property, either a freehold interest in the property or a lease with at least 5 years remaining, including a copy of the Land Registry title register and plan of no more than 3 months old. If the property is leased, or the Land Registry documents show another organisation has a claim on the title, please provide valid permission for the works from the third party (freeholder) / landlord.
- Their most recent financial accounts or their working budget and financial plan for the year if they’re a new organisation. Parish Councils are required to submit their full accounts.
- A project plan, including ongoing maintenance arrangements.
- Charities and community organisations must provide a constitution that demonstrates that the project they are applying for matches the organisation’s objectives. They are a ‘not for profit organisation’ and the trustees don’t receive benefits (except parish or town councils, churches or similar organisations that are governed by a central body and therefore don’t have their own constitution).
- Private sector companies must provide either a UTR number or a company registration number, and evidence they are actively trading.
Applicants must be able to confirm:
- They will sign up to our grant terms and conditions before proceeding with the application. These are available to download from our South and Vale websites and the grants system.
- They have the correct authority in place for their representatives to apply and enter into the Grant Agreement and legally bind the organisation. Parochial Church Councils and Parish Councils have their governing arrangements for this, which should be followed.
- The project will not be completed before a decision has been made, which is usually 8 – 10 weeks from the closing date, as we cannot pay for retrospective costs.
- They have not received any Minimal Financial Assistance, more than £315,000 in this financial year and/or in the previous two financial years. The organisation is to provide relevant evidence if a subsidy / Minimal Financial Assistance has been received.
Contact us - Economic Development
South Oxfordshire District Council
Abbey House
Abbey Close
Abingdon
OX14 3JE
