Further information

What is LEADER+?

LEADER+ is a European Community initiative to help rural communities improve the quality of life and economic prosperity in their local area. Download the map above to see which parishes are in the LEADER+ area, or find out more about it from our LEADER+ community funding page.

How Rural Enterprise Network Support works

An officer from one of the Community Partnerships will visit identified businesses personally. (What are community partnerships?) If you are eligible you will be offered the following opportunities at no cost:

• An in-depth consultation with an experienced consultant;
• Advice on how to improve your business;
• An opportunity to participate in one of the local business forums, and;
• A grant of up to £1500 for capital expenditure to improve the business (which must be match funded ‘pound for pound’ by your business).

The Officer will help you complete an initial checklist to gather information about the business. The Officer will then help you to choose a consultant to work with you.

Tailor-made advice & support

The consultant will offer tailor-made measures to help achieve improvements for your business, such as looking at your financial situation, customer base, current legislation which may affect your business, marketing plan, range of produce, layout and condition of the premises etc.

The consultant will produce a report and action plan of their findings. When you get this you will be invited to apply for a capital grant of up to £1500, or 50% (or whichever is less) contribution towards eligible costs. Match funding from your business will be required.

Who can apply

The scheme is open to:

• any independent rural pub, shop, post office, garage, restaurant or café;
• businesses based in the LEADER+ area of South Norfolk (see the attached map, link above), and;
• small businesses employing less than 10 full time equivalents.

To start with the project will be targeted at rural village businesses, but from 1 November 2007 businesses in Harleston, Diss and Loddon will also be eligible to apply.

How to apply

To apply, please contact Lead Project Co-ordinator Margot harbour on 01379 851920 or email margot.harbour@harleston-norfolk.org.uk.

Capital grants

The grant must be used to introduce new goods and services, or improved business efficiency. The grants will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Benefit to the community.
• Value for money.
• Environmental impact.
• The need for grant funding.

Ineligible projects

Projects that would not qualify for a grant include:

• Repairs and maintenance
• Purchasing stock or anything which relates to the mainstream running of the business.

The grant process

Application for financial help through the RENS project will be dealt with in the following way:

1. The application, along with a report from the consultant, goes to the relevant partnership for processing.
2. The lead partnership co-ordinator presents the application to the RENS Grants panel, which consists of the Chair of the Norfolk Rural Shops Alliance, our Economic Development Officer and Community Development Officer, with their recommendation.
3. The decision of the group will be reported to the Norfolk Rural Shops Alliance (the steering group) and our Grants panel at their next meetings.
4. Decisions will be notified within three months of receipt of the application.
5. The relevant Community Partnership, which you have dealt with through this process, will send the offer letter/refusal letter to the business. As part of the acceptance onto the scheme, you will be required to read, sign and date an offer letter and return it the relevant Community Partnership.
6. Rejection letters will include reasons for refusal. You will have one opportunity to address the identified issues and resubmit to the following grant panel meeting

Grant payment

In order to receive the grant an original invoice dated after the receipt of the signed offer letter with evidence of match funding will be required.

This information should be sent to the Community Partnership for processing and then sent to us. We, as the accountable body for the RENS project, will process all paperwork for payment.

Monitoring process

Part of the project agreement will require us to collect some simple monitoring information from you. When you get your money you will be required to submit a completion form.

Complaints process

If there is any aspect of the process that you are not happy with please contact the Economic Development Officer immediately – our contact details are at the foot of this page. The appeal will be taken to our grants panel for their careful consideration.

Disclaimer

Approval of any grants under the Rural Enterprise Network Support can in no way be seen as an endorsement of your activity by the project. Such approval cannot be taken by you or any other person as a guarantee or warranty that your business is viable.

No liability will be accepted by RENS in the event of subsequent failure of your business.

Related pages on this website

• Rate relief for rural shops, post offices & pubs