DAERA has today opened a phase 2 pilot Rural Social Enterprise Investment Scheme. The scheme aims to provide investment that will allow established social enterprises to increase their capacity, potential profitability and sustainability whilst supporting those who live in rural areas. Grants of between £50k to £100k will be available to social enterprises who meet the qualifying criteria and are successful in a competitive process.
The application process will be in two stages.
The first stage is the completion of an online Expression of Interest (EOI) application which will be used by DAERA to determine eligibility of the applicant and project.
The second stage is the completion of an online full application. Only those applicants whose EOI has been deemed eligible will be invited to submit a full application.
Three pre-application webinars have been arranged to provide detail on the scheme and the application process, weeks commencing 17th and 24th October 2022. It is recommended that anyone wishing to apply to the scheme should register to attend one of the webinars.
Full details about the scheme, webinars and associated documentation are available on the DAERA website - Rural Development Grants | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (daera-ni.gov.uk)