The £110m Rural England Prosperity Fund announced last September promised help for farm diversification. But in many Northern counties, confusion surrounds the application process and the deadlines for accessing this vital funding.

In the current uncertain times of reduced financial support for farming, the Government's new Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) announced in September 2022 was a widely welcomed £110m shot in the arm for the  UK's rural economy.

The REPF was targeted towards rural communities and rural businesses, including farming enterprises, seeking to diversify or expand their reach. The fund is being allocated through local authorities, each responsible for determining which types of capital projects will be eligible and bidding for their share of the £110m available. But in many Northern counties, rural businesses desperate for this additional support can find no information on how and when to apply.

Tracey Jackson, Associate Director & Head of Environment & Forestry for H&H Land & Estates, says local authorities must provide clarity and action to enable rural communities to benefit from the fund.

"We are helping hundreds of worried farmers and farming businesses to find the financial support they need to make their businesses fit for the future. This new Rural Fund is aimed at giving farmers the opportunity to tap into a new stream of funding to help them with opportunities to add additional income streams to their existing farming enterprise. But there is no clarity on what proportion of their costs might be funded, and in some authorities in the North, including Cumberland, there is simply no sign of any information on how to apply for the grant.

"In some authorities such as Westmorland & Furness, the process of application is so convoluted, and deadlines are so tight we have very little chance assembling the necessary documentation to meet the deadlines.  All over the country, local authorities seem to be announcing major allocations of millions for REPF projects, but each authority seems to be taking a different approach to the application process, in some cases lengthy and complex, making it off putting for rural or farming businesses to secure their share of this really vital financial support.

"With BPS and other funding streams shrinking, we are encouraging farming clients to look for every opportunity to diversify their business to help make it more robust for the future, and the opportunities offered by the Rural Grant in theory are very wide-ranging and positive. If farmers are looking to diversify with a new project, tapping into the Rural Fund would help to subsidise costs, and we know there are many farms and rural businesses hoping for a portion of the grant.

"The fund was designed to support the prosperity and productivity in areas that need it most and it has been specifically set to help overcome some of the challenges that negatively impact rural areas the most, including poorer connectivity, limited access to key services and lower productivity rates.

"It is absolutely imperative that every local authority with disadvantaged rural areas makes access to this funding as easy, clear and immediate as possible. Our rural communities need this help, and they need it now."