Partner Article

New rural business investment begins

New and existing rural businesses looking for support to grow and develop are in line for a share of more than £1m in funding from the recently-launched Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). The money is designed to help micro-enterprises in rural parts of the region with elements such as start-up revenue and capital investment costs, technical and marketing support, product development, branding and design.

Rural business owner and One NorthEast board member Ian Brown said: “Small businesses are a huge part of the rural economy, so this is a really important area of investment for the new RDPE programme.

“It will help land-based businesses to develop alternative sources of income, and wider rural enterprises to create new jobs and to make their operations more sustainable. It will also help promote entrepreneurship, which is absolutely key to increasing the range of businesses across different sectors in rural areas. We very much look forward to seeing the first investments being made.”

Jonathan Shaw, Minister for Rural Affairs, said: “I am delighted that One NorthEast has launched its fund to invest in making the North East an even better place for rural people to live and work in, and where rural businesses can prosper and grow. This is part of a record investment of £3.9 billion by the Government in rural development in England between now and 2013. It will help our farming, food and forestry industries to thrive and become more competitive, and enhance opportunity for rural businesses and communities.”

The RDPE micro-enterprise funding is available through the North East England Investment Centre. Businesses wanting further information should contact Business Link on 0845 600 9 006.

For more information on RDPE in North East England, visit www.rdpenortheast.co.uk.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .