Tuesday 1 May 2018

PRINCE'S COUNTRYSIDE FUND

The Prince's Countryside Fund has been established to support the sustainability and protection of farms and rural communities throughout the UK.
The Fund aims to have a positive, long-term impact on rural communities, helping those that live and work there sustain the countryside by tackling key rural issues.
Charities, Community Benefit Societies, Community Interest Companies, Companies Limited by Guarantee, not-for-profit organisations, social enterprises and unincorporated associations may apply for a grant of up to £50,000 for up to 3 years.
The Fund awards grants totalling approximately £1 million each year.
Applications for project and resource funding will be considered.
Applications for capital funding will be accepted but only for the purchase of equipment and for refurbishment.
Funding requests for the purchase of buildings or land will not be accepted.
Applications from support organisations that do not provide direct service delivery to clients will be accepted. However, they must be for specific projects with tangible and deliverable outcomes.
The Fund can pay for a portion or the entirety of the costs of a project, as either a one-off grant or as ongoing support.
Applications for match funding in order to support a bid for other grants that meet the Fund's objectives will be considered.
PLEASE NOTE: applicants will be required to supply a business case which outlines their intended activities and projected financial situation over the duration of the project.
Projects must focus on at least one of the following three areas:
1. Improving the prospects of viability for family farm businesses - projects should focus on developing stronger, more sustainable farm businesses and other rural enterprises with the aim of halting the decline of the rural economy. These projects should focus on:

o Providing business support and advice for rural businesses including supporting farmers in financial hardship to help them improve their efficiency and/or add value to their business through the provision of on-farm business advice:
o Facilitating the transfer of knowledge for continuous improvement of agricultural businesses in poor rural areas and providing opportunities for continuing education of farmers; o Supporting farmer-led initiatives including cooperatives and producer groups aimed at adding value, reducing costs, sharing information and shortening supply chains in farming/rural areas experiencing financial hardship;
o Providing training opportunities and apprenticeship schemes for those seeking a career in agriculture.
2. Sustaining Rural Communities and driving Economic Vibrancy - projects should provide innovative solutions to deliver assets and services that keep rural communities together and develop a more sustainable rural economy. These projects will focus on:
o Supporting village service provision including pubs, shops and transport;
o Encouraging rural enterprise through facilitating business support and advice and the creation of business hubs and enterprise areas;
o Providing training opportunities such as rural career apprenticeships, bursaries and vouchers to access training and qualifications;
o Providing advice and training to people searching for local jobs.
3. Supporting Aid Delivery in Emergency and Building Resilience - projects should support farm businesses, rural businesses and communities to plan for and recover from natural disasters such as flooding or animal disease. Groups that are considering applying under this theme should contact the Fund's Grant Manager to discuss their proposed activity in more detail.
The following are not eligible for funding:
o Individuals;
o Statutory bodies, such as local authorities and NHS bodies, or work where there is a statutory responsibility to provide funding (schools will be funded where the project falls outside of statutory obligations);
o Religious bodies where the funding will be for religious purposes;
o Political organisations where the funding will be used for political purposes;
o Projects where the work has begun and money spent in anticipation of receiving funding;
o Projects where the funding would displace existing funding streams, such as agri-environment schemes;
o Projects which do not demonstrate sufficient public benefit and in which private benefit is more than incidental;
o Projects which are aimed at generating commercial benefits beyond the relief of financial hardship in farming/rural areas;
o Projects wholly dependent on funding for over three years;
o Projects that would damage the name or reputation of the Fund;
o Projects where the objective is to ‘reconnect people with the countryside’;
o Private enterprises (however, there are two exceptions: Community Interest Companies and Companies Limited by Guarantee);
o Purchase of buildings or land; and
o Feasibility studies where the outcome is unknown.
The first application deadline for 2018 is 5pm on Thursday 14 June.
There will be a further round in the autumn.
A copy of the guidelines can be downloaded from The Prince's Countryside Fund website.
An online application form can be accessed upon registration to the Fund.
Contact details for the Prince’s Countryside Fund are:
The Prince's Countryside Fund Team
Prince's Countryside Fund
137 Shepherdess Walk
London
N1 7RQ
Tel: 020 7566 8797
Email: 
pcfapplication@bitc.org.uk  
(Source: GRIN)

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