Brexit: and East Devon District Council helping local rural businesses to apply for £1.4m in EU funded grants

The District Council and East Devon AONB have worked with the funding body 'Making it Local' for some time now:
Futures Forum: District Council: Have you booked your place for the Working Together Community Conference? Friday 11th October
Futures Forum: East Devon AONB Sustainable Development Fund ...the spread of projects

As the Rural Services Network notes, this cash actually comes from the EU:

Wednesday, 30 November 2016 15:45

£1.4m business boost for East Devon

Written by  Ruralcity Media

East Devon District Council is helping local rural businesses to apply for £1.4m in EU funded grants.

The council is providing specialist support to rural businesses and organisations to help them develop applications for a slice of the LEADER money. The funding is being awarded to projects in parts of Mid- and East Devon, and Somerset.

East Devon's business support provider - Business Boost – is working with rural firms to 'sponsor' them through the grant application process.

Over the next three years, the Making it Local Action Group will oversee the awarding of the funds. It covers parishes including the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and surrounding gateway market towns.

The action group will act as a panel, made up of private and community sector representatives, to award the grants locally. Likely recipients include farmers, growers, foresters, other local rural businesses and rural community organisations. Successful projects will be those deemed to improve the local economy in terms of jobs and growth, as well as improving the quality of life in the area.

East Devon business, Rebel Town Pizza Company, was one of the first to take the initial step in applying for a Making it Local grant. Owner Ross Clifford wanted to expand his unique wood fired pop-up pizzeria.

A Business Boost adviser was able to help him with his business planning, market research and strategy. The advisor also assisted with his competitor analysis and financial forecasting. This confirmed that the business was able to meet the grant priorities around jobs and growth.

Mr Clifford said he believed the involvement of the Business Boost adviser significantly increased his chance of a successful application.

East Devon district councillor Philip Skinner said the local authority had maintained its commitment to supporting small businesses.

"We're really proud to be able to benefit our local rural economies through our funding of this specialist project sponsor support. This is helping entrepreneurs like Ross develop successful applications for LEADER funding and supporting local food and drink producers in the process.

For full details, visit the Local Action Group website.

£1.4m business boost for East Devon

Here's more information about applying for a grant:
Making it Local - Home

And here's more info about the programme from the East Devon AONB:

Making it Local

Making it Local (MiL) is a community led European funding programme centred around the Blackdown Hills and East Devon AONBs along with surrounding parishes and market towns. It follows on from the predecessor  Making it Local programme that ran between 2008 -13.  The programme has secured £1.46m funding from Defra which will now run to December 2020.

The emphasis of the next programme has shifted more towards growing the rural economy, therefore grants will be allocated to businesses and organisations that demonstrate they will help strengthen economic vitality within the MIL area. The following sectors will be covered in the next programme:

• Farming 
• Forestry
• Heritage & Culture
• Microbusinesses
• Rural Services
• Tourism 

A formal launch of the Making it Local programme will take place in April 2016 and the grant is open for applications now. The AONB Team (through Chris Woodruff) can advise on applications we we are keen to hear from businesses and organisations now who have an idea for a new project.  See the Making it Local site website for details or call 01823 680626 

Making it Local has supported woodland management days, woodfuel sector and local woodland associations:

East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty - Making it Local

See also:
Futures Forum: Axewoods cooperative > managing woodlands for woodfuel
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