Rural development

Introduction to Rural Development

 Ards and North Down Borough Council’s Rural Development Section has the role of supporting businesses and the community in rural areas of our borough.  These roles include:

  •  Providing an administrative and financial management function to Ards and North Down Rural Partnership, which is the organisation tasked with delivering the NI Rural Development Programme in this area in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture
  • Rolling out the Rural Business Development Grant Scheme as part of DAERA’s Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Programme
  • Supporting the roll of SEAFLAG in partnership with Newry, Mourne and Down District Council as the lead administrator. DAERA has approved the NI FLAG Strategy 2018-2020, which outlines how €2.73 million (approx. £2.3 million) of funding should be allocated to the local fishing dependent communities, which includes Portavogie within this borough and up to a radius of 7 miles

 We currently have 3 main schemes to provide funding support which include:

NI Rural Development Programme

Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 (LEADER) 

 Ards and North Down Rural Partnership Limited managed the delivery of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme (2014-2020) in the Ards and North Down Borough Council area.  Ards and North Down Borough Council acted as the administrative and financial lead for the delivery of the Rural Development Programme in the Borough, providing a secretariat role. The Programme provided grant funding under the following schemes; 

1. Rural Business Investment Scheme: The aim of this Scheme was to increase economic activity and employment rates in the rural areas of the Borough through encouraging and supporting the creation and development of micro and small enterprises by part funding new equipment and expansion of buildings for example. 

 The scheme supported a wide variety of sectors, including manufacturing, engineering, specialist security glass, food and hospitality, flight simulator training, childcare, nursing home care, advanced composites and more. This investment will continue to benefit the local community by creating more jobs and inviting further investment as the businesses thrive and expand. 

 2. Rural Basic Services Scheme: The aim of this Scheme was to improve and maintain the living conditions and welfare of rural dwellers through the provision of additional and better basic services.  Seven capital build projects have been delivered under this scheme which have provided numerous benefits to rural areas, such as improvements to physical and mental health, community space, creation of community hubs and general enhancement to quality of life. 

 3. Village Renewal Scheme: The aim of this Scheme was to regenerate Ards and North Down’s villages and their surrounding areas by improving their economic prospects and quality of life.  Ards and North Down Borough Council have delivered fifteen capital build projects including a wide range of schemes such as improvements to community halls, play park and community park enhancements, improved landscapes and infrastructure and more recreational opportunities for Communities. 

 4.Cooperation Scheme: This Scheme was focused on Cooperation between Local Action groups in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. 

 OUTCOMES

The main outcomes from the Programme, which has now come to a close, are as follows; 

  •  78 projects completed across all schemes  
  • £3,862,087 of grant aid has been spent to date with one more project yet to complete which will take the total spend to £4,085,212. This is more than the original project budget of £3,150,000 as the Partnership availed of additional funding offered by DAERA
  • Total investment in the area of £6.858,081 which includes the £2,772,869 of match funding invested in projects by individuals, limited companies, community groups and Ards and North Down Borough Council. 
  • 45 Full Time Equivalent Jobs have been created to date which is five more than the target of 40 with more to be created as the businesses grow. Many more jobs have been safeguarded. 

 BENEFITS

Scheme: Rural Business Investment Scheme / No of projects funded: 31 

Summary Impact:

  • Delivered £2,065,164 of investment (£769,709 grant and £1,295,455 of match funding) 
  • Helped to create at least 34 FT and 23 PT jobs 
  • Supported the creation of seven new businesses 
  • Enabled 23 existing business to develop, expand and recruit 
  • Supported five business to start exporting 

 Scheme: Rural Basic Services Scheme / No of projects funded:13 

Summary Impact:

  • Delivered £1,496,536 of investment (£888,787 grant and £607,749 of match funding 
  • 7 capital projects completed which have impacted on a potential number of 12,225 so far 
  • These seven projects have provided much needed basic services to the rural areas such as improvements to physical and mental health, community space, creation of community hubs and general enhancement to quality of life. 

 Scheme: Rural Village Renewal Scheme /  No of projects funded: 30 

Summary Impact:

  • Delivered £2,849,840 of investment (£2,089,537 grant and £760,303 of match funding 
  • 15 capital projects completed which impact on a population of 27,970 
  • These 15 projects include a wide range of schemes such as improvements to community halls, play park and community park enhancements, improved landscapes and infrastructure and more recreational opportunities for communities  

 Scheme: Cooperation Scheme / No of Projects Funded: 4 

Summary Impact:

  • Delivered £446,541 of investment (£337,179 grant and £109,362 of match funding) 
  • Partnership building with Inishowen Rural Partnership 

78 projects were supported, representing a total investment of almost £7M. That is a significant figure that makes a big difference to the rural economy and the quality of life for rural dwellers. 

This investment has aided the creation of new rural businesses, along with supporting existing ones, and part funded improvements to community facilities and services. 

Its impact is clearly visible on the ground and will benefit the area for many years to come.  

The Village Renewal Scheme was delivered by Council and  videos of the completed projects have been compiled to show our rural communities what has been achieved.  These clips can be watched on YouTube and will also be shared on Council’s social media channels. 

Rural Business Development Grant Scheme (now closed)

The Rural Business Development Grant Scheme will provide investment support for the development of existing enterprises based in a rural area of Ards and North Down to sustain or grow through DAERA’s Tackling Rural Poverty & Social Isolation (TRPSI) Programme. Capital-only grants are available up to a maximum grant of £4999 available (up to 50% of the total costs of the project).

The scheme will be open for applications on Wednesday 4th May 2022 and closes at 12noon Tuesday 31st May 2022. 

Applications are submitted online and the system will not accept any applications submitted after the closing time.

Mandatory pre-application workshops will be taking place at 10am on Wednesday 27 April, 2pm on Thursday 28 April and 2pm on Tuesday 3 May.  These workshops will be held over zoom.  Only those businesses who attend a mandatory workshop will be able to apply to the scheme.  Please email rdp@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk with your preferred workshop date and the zoom link will be sent to you two days in advance.

A copy of the Guidance Notes available to download here

Please note the following pre-requisites:

  • Your business must be located in a rural area & have less than 10 full-time equivalent employees.
  • You have not received funding under last year’s (2021) TRPSI Rural Business Development Grant Scheme (If you received funding from the Scheme in 2019 or 2020 then you are eligible to apply this year)
  • The total cost of the capital project must be a minimum of £1,000 and must not exceed £20,000 of project costs. 
  • Procurement is to be included (minimum of two quotations for each item to be purchased)
  • The project must not have started and the proposed works must be completed by 31 October 2022. 

It is anticipated that grant offers will be made in late August / early September 2022, and your project cannot commence until you receive a formal offer of funding. 

For further info please contact a member of the Rural Development Team on 07920 187172 or email rdp@ardsandnorthdown.gov.uk

SEAFLAG Grant Scheme

Up to £125,000 funding available, with the next application deadline - 31 January 2020

This Scheme is now closed.