Great Yarmouth rural business and communities grant - frequently asked questions

Introduction 

• are you a micro, small or medium sized business or a community organisation operating within a rural area of Great Yarmouth Borough Council?
• are you looking to invest in plant, equipment or premises which will improve productivity, help you to engage in new markets or create jobs?
• are you a farming business looking to diversify outside of agriculture (for example, creating rural leisure and tourism facilities)?
• do you have a project that would develop and promote the visitor economy; support existing culture, heritage and historic institutions; and or support local arts, creative, heritage and creative activities?
• are you a local civil society or community group with a rural economy or social action project that will create volunteering opportunities?
• could your project improve health and wellbeing through improvements to local rural green spaces or active travel enhancements?
• do you need grant support to part fund your proposed project?

If so, the Great Yarmouth Rural Business and Communities Grant Scheme could benefit your organisation.

Applicants can apply for grants between £5,000 and £50,000 and the grant could part fund your project to a maximum of 50% of eligible capital costs for businesses and to a maximum of 75% for not-for-profit organisations and community groups.

The grant scheme is delivered by Norfolk County Council on behalf of Great Yarmouth Borough Council. Funding is provided by the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) from the UK Government.

Expected outcomes

Following the completion of a grant supported project, we would expect to see at least one of the following outcomes:

Frequently asked questions

Location

Beneficiary projects must be located within a REPF rural eligible area. This excludes some parts of Great Yarmouth, and some built up industrial areas as defined by the DEFRA Magic Map Application.

To see whether you are located within an eligible area for REPF, open the link to DEFRA's Magic Map and follow the instructions below:

1. Under 'Map Layers' elect 'Administrative Geographies' then 'Other Administrative Boundaries' then select 'Rural England Prosperity Fund'.

2. Search for the location by entering the postcode within the search bar (top left of page) or manually zoom in on a location.
3. You will find a toolbar of icons above the map. Select the 'Identify' icon and click on the location of your project on the map. A pop-up box will appear notifying you if the area is considered rural for the purposes of REPF

Can anyone apply?

Priority will be given to applicants who have not received grants previously through the Rural Grant Scheme.

When is a decision regarding funding made?

A discretionary panel will consider suitable applications in September 2025.

If approved, your project must be ready to proceed immediately with all relevant permissions in place, and you must not commence your project until after you have accepted the offer.

When must my project be finished?

 The Rural Grant Scheme can only support projects that are fully completed by 31 March 2026.

Costs that cannot be supported through this scheme

• VAT, unless it is not recoverable
• any costs incurred before a grant offer is made
• fossil fuel powered vehicles, plant or equipment
• investments to meet legal or statutory obligations/requirements
• solar panels, insulation of premises, EV chargers, LED lighting, battery energy storage systems, heating systems or other purely energy efficiency initiatives
• those that benefit a private individual such as enhancement of personal premises or assets
• routine costs such as marketing, advertising, wages, stock purchases, insurances, and so forth
• travel, accommodation, and subsistence costs
• where the beneficiary will not retain the supported assets or premises for more than three years from date of payment of the grant

Sectors that are ineligible for support

• publicly funded bodies and statutory services
• religious or political organisations
• energy generation and distribution

How do I apply for funding?

Businesses wishing to apply for support should first contact the NCC Growth Hub on Contact Us - New Anglia Growth Hub.

Our Growth Hub Advisers will work with you to develop your application.

Please note, the services of the Growth Hub are free and impartial.

Things you should know

• there are very limited funds available, and they are awarded on a first come first served basis
• you will need to evidence your need for the grant to complete the grant
• we are unable to support ailing or insolvent businesses or organisations, and financial checks will be made
• this discretionary grant is awarded by an independent panel, and after presentation to the panel in September 2025, it may take up to 28 days for you to be notified of a decision
• the panel's decision is final
• all planning permissions, business use, landlord's permission or other dependencies must be evidenced as in place at time of application
• if you are successful, you must not spend any money, order any items, or commence any project activity until you have formally accepted the grant offer
• if approved, you must make your investment directly from your business bank account to the supplier - the use of cash, hire-purchase, asset finance or credit cards to make the investment is not acceptable for this scheme
• to support your application, you will be required to provide routine supporting documents such as quotes, financial accounts and bank statements
• all projects will need to demonstrate value for money and there will be a requirement to provide a minimum of three quotes for each proposed spend category
• support will be delivered through the UK Subsidy Control Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA) and awards cannot exceed your £315,000 allowance
• you will receive advice and support as required during the application process