New! Farm Diversification Awareness Day
Wednesday, 8th September at The Jungle, Moneymore
Diversification - Business Planning Course
The second edition of the GROW newsletter is now available to download.
Programme Details
GROW South Antrim (Generating Rural Opportunities Within South Antrim) has been set up to manage and deliver Axis 3 & 4 of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 across Antrim, Carrickfergus & Newtownabbey Borough Councils.
Axis 3 of the programme contains the following measures:
- 3.1: Diversification into non-agricultural activities
- 3.2: Business creation and development
- 3.3: Encouragement of tourism activities
- 3.4: Basic services for the economy and rural population
- 3.5: Village renewal and development
- 3.6: Conservation and upgrading of the rural heritage
Eligible Areas
To be eligible for funding under the GROW South Antrim programme, your project must be based, or demonstrate a significant impact within a rural area of Antrim, Carrickfergus or Newtownabbey.
For the purposes of this programme, rural areas are those with less than 4,500 residents and outside of designated urban areas. In South Antrim this includes the villages of Ballyeaston, Ballynure, Ballyrobert, Burnside, Crumlin, Doagh, Parkgate, Straid, Templepatrick, Toome, Whitehead and all outlying rural areas.
The following towns and designated urban areas in South Antrim are classified as urban and are therefore ineligible for support:
Antrim: Antrim town and Randalstown
Carrickfergus: Carrickfergus town and Greenisland urban area
Newtownabbey: Ballyclare town and Newtownabbey urban area
View the development limits of the above areas or contact the GROW office on 028 9448 1311 for guidance.
Eligible Expenditure
Grant aid can be awarded towards capital and resource costs, including for example:
- Capital items, including building works and signage
- Non-mobile equipment
- Feasibility studies and business plans
- Professional fees
- Marketing.
Please note that these lists are not exhaustive and each application is considered on an individual basis.
GROW is unable to fund:
- Projects that have already commenced
- Projects where there is a clear statutory responsibility
- Mainstream agricultural activities
- Retail enterprises, except where the outlet itself is an integral part of a craft production facility or a farm shop
- Service or distribution businesses, unless they are innovative in your area
- Projects that create economic displacement
- The purchase of buildings
- Private dwellings or laneways
- The purchase of land (exceptions may apply)
- Motor vehicles
- Mobile infrastructure, except specialised infrastructure for specific project requirements
- Business running costs, including salaries
- Own labour costs
- Projects with negative environmental impacts
- Existing festivals and events
- Provision of additional B&B bed spaces.
Grant aid is available to the private sector at 50% match funding. For example, if your total eligible project cost is £40,000, you can apply to GROW for a maximum grant of £20,000.
Grant aid is available to social economy enterprises and non-departmental public bodies at 75% match funding. For example, if your total eligible project cost is £40,000, you can apply to GROW for a maximum grant of £30,000.
Please note that details of maximum funding amounts can be found under each measure.
Match Funding
Match funding can be made up of private, public or contribution in kind:
Private match funding – can be cash, non EU sourced bank loans or donations from Trusts.
Public match funding – must be non-EU sourced public funding
Contribution in Kind – this is only available to social economy enterprise and non-departmental public body applications. It is limited to 20% of the total project cost and must be matched by a 5% cash contribution. Contributions must be evidenced and linked directly to the project, for example, the supply of land, property, equipment, raw materials and unpaid work.