MORE money is being made available to help small businesses in rural areas and create more jobs

Projects which support micro and small enterprise in rural areas, support farm diversification and support rural tourism can now apply for the £1.96m LEADing Rural Business small capital grant funding programme.

The key objectives of the programme include the growth of the rural economy and the creation of 74 jobs in rural Worcestershire.

Bidding applications can apply to support micro and small enterprises (including farm diversification) – such as the construction of new factories/offices and purchase of equipment – and support rural tourism, such as helping IT and e-booking systems, supporting equipment purchases for restaurants/cafes which cater to tourists, encouraging new attractions along waterways and cycle routes, and developing more opportunities for young families.

Cllr Simon Geraghty, Worcestershire County Council deputy leader and cabinet member for economy, skills and infrastructure, said: "This is a great opportunity to really grow our rural business infrastructure. Worcestershire is a county with a thriving rural and agricultural economy, and I encourage any business, whether looking to start up or to expand, to submit an application."

The Worcestershire ‘LEADing Rural Business' programme is funded through the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) 2014-2020 under the LEADER approach, utilising money from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.