West Northamptonshire Rural Business Grant
The West Northamptonshire Rural Business Grant programme has now closed.
Funding allocated for 2025/26 has been fully distributed, and there is currently no update from Government on any future or replacement schemes.
The information below is provided for reference only:
About the West Northamptonshire Rural Business Grant
The West Northamptonshire Rural Business Grant is a capital grants programme for rural businesses funded through the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) by Defra.
It follows on from the EU-funded LEADER Programme and Growth Programme, both of which were part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).
Just over £410,000 has been allocated for the business grant programme for 2025/26 to help West Northamptonshire’s rural businesses with capital projects.
The funding is delivered by Ngage Solutions in partnership with West Northamptonshire Council. Ngage will be supporting businesses through the application process.
What is the aim of the programme?
To support businesses to start, grow, increase productivity and employment opportunities.
This will be achieved through small-scale investment in rural SMEs via capital grant funding. The focus is on supporting farm business diversification and other rural enterprises.
What types of projects can be funded?
Typical projects eligible for funding include, but are not limited to:
- Farm diversification
- Tourism initiatives
- Food and drink processing
- Forestry
- Other rural enterprises
Eligibility Guidelines for the West Northamptonshire Rural Business Grant
Check that your business meets the criteria before you apply:
- Businesses applying must be micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (1 to 250 employees with a turnover of less than €50 million).
- Projects need to be new and cannot have started already (no retrospective funding).
- Projects will need to be within an eligible geographic area*
New or established businesses can apply.
*What counts as a rural area?
For the purposes of this fund, rural areas are defined as:
- Towns, villages and hamlets (and the wider countryside) with populations below 10,000
- Market or ‘hub towns’ with populations of up to 30,000 that serve their surrounding rural areas as centres of employment and in providing service
Use this interactive map to check if you are located within an eligible area. For a tutorial on navigating the interactive map, refer to this guide.
Grant information
- Individual grant amounts will be from £2,500 to £75,000.
- Grants will initially be offered at 50% of the total eligible project value.
- Projects will need to be approved before expenditure can be incurred.
- Projects will need to be completed, having evidenced all spend and claimed once awarded - by March 2026.
Apply for funding
Applications are now closed, and new Expressions of Interest are no longer being accepted.
At present, there is no confirmed information on future or successor funding, but updates will be shared as soon as they become available.
Do you need any help with an application for a West Northamptonshire Rural Business Grant?
Contact Will Dallimore, Rural Business Development Manager at Ngage Solutions, to talk through potential projects and to ask any questions you have about the West Northamptonshire Rural Business Grant.
Call 01494 927167 / 07802 411040 or email William.Dallimore@ngagesolutions.co.uk
This support is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
