Over £1.2m grant aid approved for micro and small rural businesses

by Gráinne Connolly

The Mid Ulster Rural Development Partnership has approved over £1.2M in grant aid to rurally based micro and small businesses in the district through its Rural Business Investment Scheme. 

The partnership is continuing the roll out scheme and now planning for the next call for applications which will commence with a series of mandatory funding workshops. 

All businesses intending to apply must attend a workshop to be eligible to make an application. 

The workshops commence today (Monday 9th October) in Council offices Magherafelt at 9.30am and Cookstown Leisure Centre at 6.30pm (alternative dates at the bottom of the page).  

The rural Business Investment Scheme now offers grant aid in 50% of eligible expenditure up to £30,000 for new businesses, up to £50,000 for existing micro businesses and up to £90,000 for existing small businesses.
 

Chair of the Mid Ulster Local Action Group (LAG), Councillor Sean Clarke commented: 

"Attending a funding workshop is a fundamental first step in the application process and is therefore a mandatory requirement for making an application.

"The primary purpose of the workshops is to help businesses decide if their project is investment ready before an application is made.

"Interest to date under the Rural Business Investment Scheme has been high and the funding on offer provides a fantastic opportunity for new or existing rurally based micro and small businesses to develop and grow." 

Dr Stephen Anderson, Managing Director of Aecentus Ltd commented on the benefits the funding brought them,

"At Aecentus we provide analysis and measurement services to local and international mechanical and structural engineering companies. Demand for our services had grown significantly in recent years.

"With grant assistance received through the rural business investment scheme we were able to purchase an additional analysis software suite and employ an additional stress engineer which has immediately increased our capacity to meet growing demands from our customers and grow the business overall." 

(LAG Chair Councillor Sean Clark with Dr Stephen Anderson, Managing Director of Aecentus Ltd which received assistance through the Rural Business Investment Scheme)

This call for applications is open to all eligible businesses including social economy enterprises operating under the Rural Growth, Rural Innovation and Rural Youth themes details within the LAG's Rural Business Investment Scheme.

Mandatory Workshops 

Council offices Magherafelt

Monday 9th October, 9.30am 

Wednesday 18th October - 6.30pm 

Cookstown Leisure Centre 

Monday 9th October - 6.30pm 

Monday 16th October - 9.30am
 

The Cornmill Coalisland 

Wednesday 11th October - 9.30am 

Monday 16th October -6.30pm 

Quinn's Corner, Dungannon

Wednesday 11th October - 6.30pm 

Wednesday 18th October - 9.30am