The Rural Business Development Grant Scheme is now open and will close at 12 noon on Thursday 30 October 2025. Grant aid of between £500 and £7,500 is available for projects costing up to £30,000.
Capital grants of up to a maximum of 50% are available to existing micro-enterprises based in a rural area, to support them to sustain and grow through DAERA’s Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Programme. Micro-enterprises are businesses that currently employ fewer than 10 full-time equivalent employees.
Examples of eligible expenditure include:
new equipment or machinery; mobile machinery such as scissor lifts, forklifts, push and ride-on lawnmowers, and mini excavators; IT equipment such as computers, laptops, and printers; computer software (outright purchase); and e-commerce websites.
All businesses must attend one pre-funding workshop and submit their application online.
All workshops last approximately one hour and take place on the following dates:
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Thursday 9 October – 1pm (Carrickfergus Enterprise, Meadowbank Road, Carrickfergus)
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Thursday 16 October – 1pm (LEDCOM, Willowbank Business Park, Larne)
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Thursday 23 October – 6pm (Online via Microsoft Teams)
You can register for a workshop by emailing rdp@midandeastantrim.gov.uk or calling 028 2563 3266.
You should also read the Application Guidance Notes before applying.