We still have some funding left to allocate from the central government funded Rural England Prosperity Fund. Businesses can have up to 75% of a project funded & organisations up to 90%, up to to maximum of £20,000. (£10,000 is the normal maximum, a higher sum may be considered is some circumstances).

To ensure we maximise the impact of our remaining budget, we are issuing a special call for “quick win” projects – initiatives that require minimal lead time and can be installed rapidly, yet deliver a significant boost to your operations.

Our mission is to back projects that deliver – whether this be capital upgrades for new income streams, equipment for diversification that will strengthen your future or improvements that surge footfall and make your business a destination. Whatever your vision for growth, we are here to provide the funding to make it happen!

We are looking for projects that can be delivered at pace and fully completed by the end of July 2026. This is a final call to grab this funding milestone – click here for the full guidelines to check if you meet the eligibility criteria and complete an expression of interest form. Once your EOI form has been received, we will check to see if you fully meet the criteria and if so we will invite a full application from you.

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As a result of central government funding, Folkestone & Hythe District Council has £171,402 available to provide capital grant funding for both businesses and community projects in rural areas. The scheme will run until early 2026, or until funds are exhausted, whichever is sooner.

Grants ranging from £2,000 to £10,000 are available (and up to £20,000 may be considered in exceptional circumstances), covering up to 75% of the total project costs for businesses and 90% for organisations.

The main aims will be to provide capital funding to:

• Support new and existing rural businesses to develop new products and facilities that will be of wider benefit to the local economy. This includes farm businesses looking to diversify income streams outside of agriculture.
• Support new and improved community infrastructure, providing essential community services and assets for local people and businesses to benefit the local economy.

If you have a potential project you feel may be eligible for funding, please complete and submit an expression of interest form without delay. We are required to have all approved projects complete and grants paid out by 31st March 2026, so there is only a short time window remaining by which to go through the whole process:

Click here for full details of the scheme and to complete an expression of interest form.

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Reduce your carbon footprint and make your business grow greener.

The tailored support will help you move towards net zero carbon emissions, find value from your waste materials, or help reduce your inputs and resources.

Your training will take place over three months, you will then be invited to apply for a small grant to help you achieve your net zero goals.

• Grant of up to £7k
• Accredited training and professional qualification
• Environmental sustainability assessment
• Personalised action plan
• Networking and events.

Click here for further details or to book a 15 minute chat to ascertain eligibility.

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(*Maximum sum depends on type of project, organisation and eligibility criteria)

Overview

Folkestone & Hythe District Council has allocated £250,000 to a new Green Grants Programme. We invite applications from businesses, organisations, Community groups, schools, town & parish councils to take the lead in carbon reduction efforts across our district. Grants can be applied for across a variety of environmentally focused projects.

There are four grant categories:

• Climate action micro-grants (up to £1,000)
• Rewilding, tree planting, and wildflower meadow grants (up to £10,000)
• Social and community grants (up to £15,000)
• Small business, community group, town & parish council premises grants (up to £20,000)

Funding can be granted to cover up to 80% of project costs. Please note that values quoted exclude VAT as the scheme is unable to fund this.

Deadline for this round of applications is 21st April 2025.

Click here for full scheme details and to submit an application. 

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Growing Green is Kent & Medway Growth Hub’s sustainability training programme for horticultural and plant-based food and drink businesses in Kent and Medway. Participants are eligible to apply for a small grant of up to £7,000 to achieve their sustainability goals.

Join the online briefing session to discover what is involved and how to apply.

About Growing Green 

Tailored support to help you move towards net zero carbon emissions, find value from your waste materials, or help reduce your inputs and resources.

The flexible training will take place over three months, you will then be invited to apply for a small grant to help you achieve your net zero goals.

• Innovation grant of up to £7k
• Accredited training and professional qualification
• Environmental sustainability assessment
• Personalised action plan
• Networking and events.

Click here for further details and to apply

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The Royal Countryside Fund new UK-wide Supporting Rural Communities grant programme is now open for expressions of interest. This new differentiated funding will support transformative, community-led initiatives across the UK, unlocking the huge potential for positive change in rural communities. The aim is to support innovative solutions that will “power up, not prop up” communities, inspiring change and encouraging economic vibrancy.

Organisations can apply for grants of up to£25,000 over a period of 24 months to deliver activities along the themes of:

• Keeping young people in the countryside
• Powering up rural communities
• Increasing environmental sustainability
• Building emergency resilience in rural areas.

The deadline to submit an expression of interest is 21st February 2025.

Click here for full details via the Royal Countryside Fund website 

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