Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA): Rural Social Economy Investment Scheme

Overview

Who can apply?

This scheme is targeted at social enterprises who meet the following criteria:

• Trading for at least 1 year (evidenced by accounts)
• Based in a rural area in Northern Ireland (as per section below); and
• Able to demonstrate experience in trading income in at least one of the following - Provision of products; delivery of unique services; provision of employment; provision of volunteering opportunities; provision of training opportunities .

Definition of a rural area

Definition of a Rural Area The project needs to be located in a rural area. For the purposes of this Scheme, rural is defined as all those areas outside the statutory development limits of those towns with a population in excess of 5,000 inhabitants . Settlements with populations in excess of 5,000 inhabitants are listed at the following link within the DAERA website: www .daera-ni .gov .uk/publications/ruralsocial-economy-investment-scheme-definition-sheet In exceptional circumstances,

DAERA may give consideration to social enterprises that are based outside of rural areas where they can clearly demonstrate that the majority of their activity benefits the rural area or where the majority of beneficiaries are rural dwellers.

Deadlines

The final date by which all projects funded under this pilot scheme must be completed and suppliers paid is 30 June 2021 . However, priority will be given to projects that can invest the grant by 31 March 2021 .

What is available?

Financial support of between £25,000 and £50,000 will be available to enable social enterprises to increase their capacity, potential profitability and sustainability whilst supporting those who live in rural areas . This will be done primarily through supporting capital investment on expenditure related to non-agricultural activity .

There will also be an allowance for funding expenditure on marketing activities and bespoke training, however this needs to be complementary to a larger capital element of the project .

Standalone marketing/bespoke training applications will NOT be eligible .

You must provide evidence of a need for your project that will help to grow your social enterprise through achieving one of more of the following objectives:

• Improving the sustainability of your rural social enterprise - to encourage a transition to more sustainable rural social enterprises through enabling the business to increase its capacity, potential profitability and sustainability.
• Strengthening rural community/communities - investing in social enterprises which create products and services for and on behalf of rural communities, thereby helping to create a sustainable rural community where people want to live, work, to visit and invest in .
• Improving the economic circumstances of rural communities - enabling and supporting employment pathways, training and volunteering opportunities to assist disadvantaged or vulnerable rural people to fulfil their potential
• Working in partnership with others - proactively encourage new or enhanced partnership arrangements to connect individuals, communities and opportunities in rural areas .

The minimum grant support available is £25,000 The maximum grant support available is £50,000 Within the parameters above, grant funding can be allocated to marketing and/or bespoke training activities. These can be included in your project, however the project must have a majority capital element, i .e . if £14,000 of funding is being allocated towards a combination of a trading website and bespoke training, there must be a funding allocation of greater than £14,000 to capital objects/works .

For more information and guidelines see here