WEST NORFOLK RURAL BUSINESS CAPITAL GRANT

• Are you a micro, small or medium sized business operating in rural West Norfolk?

• Are you looking to invest in lasting capital assets such as plant, equipment or premises

which will improve business productivity, help you to engage in new markets or support

innovation?

• Are you a farming business looking to diversify outside of agriculture (for example,

creating rural leisure and tourism facilities).

• Do you need grant support to help fund your proposed project?

If so, the West Norfolk Rural Business Capital Grant scheme could benefit your organisation.

This scheme provides capital funding opportunities to support new and existing micro, small

and medium sized rural businesses to develop new products and facilities that will be of wider

benefit to the local economy. The grant scheme is delivered by Norfolk County Council on

behalf of the Borough Council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk. Funding is provided by the Rural

England Prosperity Fund (REPF) from the UK Government.

What you need to know

1. Beneficiary projects must be located within a REPF eligible area. This excludes King’s

Lynn, and some built up industrial areas (see pre-application criteria).

2. Businesses can apply for grants between £10,000 and £100,000, for up to 50% of eligible

capital costs. Note: maximum grant values will only be awarded for exceptional projects.

3. Grants can only be used to meet costs relating to eligible project activity that takes place

between the 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026. The scheme cannot fund activity that takes

place on or after 1 April 2026.

4. Priority will be given to businesses who have not received grants previously through the

West Norfolk Rural Business Capital Grant scheme.

5. Your project must be ready to proceed with all relevant permissions in place.

What type of projects could be eligible for grant support?

Projects which will achieve one or more of the following:

• Introduction of new to the firm technologies or processes.

• Enabling engagement in new markets.

• Improvement of business productivity.

• Creation of job opportunities.

For example:

• Investment in more productive and efficient operational equipment which achieves a

reduction in carbon emissions.

• Projects which convert rural buildings into new commercial or business markets.

• Construction of new facilities to expand business provision and workforce.

Alignment with the examples above does not automatically guarantee grant award. Funding awards are

discretionary and based on a whole project appraisal.

Pre-Application Criteria

What cannot be funded

• Costs incurred before the date of the Grant Offer Letter

• Any revenue costs such as core routine overheads, staff costs or stock purchases.

• Items or services that are not directly needed to deliver the proposed work.

• The replacement or maintenance of infrastructure, items and consumables.

• VAT, unless this cannot be recovered.

• Projects which have already received funding from alternative DEFRA schemes.

• Fossil fuel powered plant, equipment and vehicles.

• Assets to be used for hire or reward

• 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 or vehicles which may also be used privately.

• Project costs receiving duplicate funding through other grant schemes.

We will not be able to provide grant support for the following non-exhaustive list of sectors:

• Banking and finance.

• Publicly funded bodies and statutory services, healthcare, schools, nurseries, childcare

facilities, and care homes.

• Religious or political organisations.

• Energy generation and distribution.

To be eligible for grant funding, organisations must be situated in and operating

from within the designated rural area for the West Norfolk Rural Business Capital

Grant scheme.

Check that the project is in an eligible rural area using the DEFRA Magic Map:

➢Go to the Magic Map Application

➢Click the diamond icon (top left) to open ‘Map Layers’

➢Tick Magic to expand Administrative Geographies.

➢Tick and expand Other Administrative Boundaries

➢Select Rural England Prosperity Fund

➢Click the diamond icon again to hide the menu.

➢

Enter your postcode (including any spaces) in the search bar or zoom in manually.

➢Click the ‘i’ identify icon and click on your project location on the map.

➢A pop-up will confirm if your area is in King’s Lynn and West Norfolk and eligible

for REPF.

• Coal, steel, and shipbuilding.

• Primary agriculture.

• Holiday homes.

Grants will not be awarded to fund farming equipment or infrastructure, or to diversify within

agriculture. Applicants looking for funding for this type of activity must use existing Defra grant

schemes.

Further information

• You will need to evidence need for the grant to complete the application process.

• You will be requested to provide routine business documents such as quotes, bank

statements and business accounts covering at least two years

• We are unable to support ailing or insolvent businesses with a negative balance sheet:

financial checks are undertaken as part of the appraisal process.

• All planning permissions, business use, landlord’s permission or other dependencies

must be evidenced as in place at time of application.

• All projects will need to demonstrate value for money and there will be a requirement to

provide a minimum of three quotes for each contract.

• Grant applications will be considered on ‘first-come, first-served’ basis. The scheme will

close to new applicants once the grant budget is fully awarded.

• This discretionary grant is awarded by an independent panel, and after presentation to

the panel, it may take up to 28 days for you to be notified of a decision.

• The panel’s decision is final.

• If you are successful, you will receive a formal Grant Offer Letter covering grant terms

and conditions and detailing eligible project costs. This must be properly accepted,

signed, dated and returned to Norfolk County Council in accordance with the instructions

on the letter before you commence project activity, including entering any legal

agreements, paying deposits or placing any orders.

• 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.

• Grant payments will be made in arrears following project completion and submission of a

properly completed and evidenced Grant Claim. Details on how to claim will be included

with the Grant Offer Letter.

• Grant awarded project activity needs to be completed by 31/03/2026. You must check

with your proposed suppliers that this is achievable before submitting a grant application.

• Grant support will be delivered through Minimal Financial Assistance (MFA).

How to apply for funding:

Businesses wishing to apply for support should first contact the Growth Hub

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

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