Fells and Dales Local Action Group : Cumbria County Council

Valuing the landscape, its products and its people.

What We Do

RDPE money is available by way of funding and grants in these broad areas:
GRANTS FOR FARMING & FORESTRY ACTIVITIES	GRANTS FOR RURAL BUSINESSES & COMMUNITY PROJECTS
• Training and information provision. • Forestry advisory services. • Setting up of management, relief and advisory services for farm and forestry businesses. • Modernisation of agricultural holdings. • Improvement of the economic value of forests. • Adding value to agricultural and forestry products. • Cooperation for development of new products, processes and technologies. • Investment in small scale renewable energy.	• Farm diversification into non-agricultural activities. • Business creation and development targeted at micro-businesses with less than ten employees. • Encouragement of certain tourism activity such as eco-tourism, high value/low impact tourism or the creation of tourism networks. • Basic services for the rural population. • Conservation and upgrading of the rural heritage. • Training and information for non farm and forestry businesses. • Support for local development strategies. • Investment in small scale renewable energy.

What does it not fund?

Development Officers will give individual advice but the following activities are unlikely to be eligible:

• Core agricultural production, for example, erection of farm buildings for primary farming purposes.

• Purely environmental projects.

• Certain tourism provision in areas where there is already oversupply of facilities.

• Activities that might be funded by other grant programmes.

How much grant is available?

There are two types of grant available:

• A “small” grant scheme for adding value, small rural businesses and farm diversification projects with a maximum grant of £20,000. This will involve a simplified application process and is aimed at stimulating small business development.

• The main RDPE scheme for all other projects and for grants of over £20,000.

Grants to individual businesses for projects generating an economic return will generally be funded at up to 40%, but higher grant rates may be offered for training and community based projects.

Who makes the decisions on grant funding?

The Cumbria Fells and Dales Local Action Group is made up of representatives from businesses, public agencies and local community bodies. Each year this group appoints an Executive to consider grant applications and act as a steering group for the programme. Grant applications are also appraised by the North West Regional Development Agency.

How to contact us

CumbriaFells & Dales RDPE Leader

The Old Stables

Redhills

Penrith

Cumbria

CA11 0DT

T. 01768 869533

F. 01768 242134

E. info@fellsanddales.org.uk