Rural businesses in Stratford-on-Avon District and North Warwickshire Borough can access support from the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) to help fund capital projects.
Warwickshire County Council has secured funding from the REPF which can be used on projects around farm diversification and also support businesses in the visitor economy and local arts, cultural heritage and creative sectors, as well as food & drink businesses, helping to provide alternative income sources and develop the rural economy.
Open now, the REPF will fund capital projects for micro and small businesses in rural areas, helping to improve productivity and strengthen the rural economy with a total of £200,000 worth of business grants available. Businesses can apply for grants between £2,500 - £25,000 for up to 40% of the total project cost.
The scheme is now open for applications and the application window will close at 23.59 on 15 September 2025.
All projects must be financially completed and claimed in full by 31 March 2026.
Councillor Rob Howard, portfolio holder for Economy at Warwickshire County Council, said:
“The Rural England Prosperity Fund is a great opportunity to support local rural businesses and to strengthen rural communities for the long term.
“The fund is available to rural businesses helping them to diversify, modernise their operations, make improvements to their business and generate alternative sources of income.
“Applications can made until mid-September so I’d encourage interested businesses to get in touch and apply today.”
A webinar is available to join at midday on 13 August to further explain the applications process. Anyone can join this webinar here: REPF Webinar - 13 August 2025
To request an application form, complete this form.
To find our more, visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/repf
Guidance for applicants is available here.
The grant scheme is funded by the Government’s Rural England Prosperity Fund via Warwickshire County Council.
There is also a small allocation of REPF funding to support communities & place projects in North Warwickshire and Stratford District. More information will be published on WCC’s REPF pages shortly.
The REPF business grants are part of a wider package of finance and grants funded or managed by Warwickshire County Council including small business loans as part of the Warwickshire Investment Fund, the BEAS energy efficiency grants and WCC’s small capital grants programme. For more information, visit: Finance, loans and grants – Warwickshire County Council
WCC’s small capital programme – which supports a wider range of sectors and businesses across all areas of the county – will be opening for applications next month.