• Agriculture & Rural Development

• Business Support

• Community Development

• Community Safety

• Education & Training and Cultures

• Employment

• Environment and Energy

• Health

• Housing & Homelessness

• Innovation & Technology

• Land and Planning

• Leisure & Sport

• Transport

Agricultural and Rural

Countryside Access Recovery Fund

To assist voluntary groups and charities promote access to the countryside....more info

Countryside Stewardship Programme

Countryside Stewardship is the makes payments to farmers and other land managers to enhance and conserve English landscapes, their wildlife and history and to help people to enjoy them Countryside Stewardship is the makes payments to farmers and other land managers to enhance and conserve English landscapes, their wildlife and history and to help people to enjoy them....more info

Energy Crop Scheme

The Energy Crops Scheme is a DEFRA scheme run in partnership with the Forestry Commission. The scheme encourages and promotes the cultivation of energy crops....more info

Processing and Marketing Grants

Processing and marketing grants enable capital investment in processing and marketing of English primary agricultural products. They also encourage farmers to become more competitive, respond to consumer demand, be more innovative and add value to their produce....more info

Rural Enterprise Scheme

The Rural Enterprise Scheme (RES) is part of the England Rural Development Programme (ERDP). It provides assistance for projects that help to develop more sustainable, diversified and enterprising rural economies and communities....more info

Vocational Training Scheme

The new Vocational Training Scheme provides funding for training that contributes to an improvement in the occupational skill and competence of farmers and others involved in farming and forestry activities and their diversification....more info

Environmentally Sensitive Areas Scheme

The Environmentally Sensitive Areas Scheme was introduced in 1987 to offer incentives to encourage farmers to adopt agricultural practices which would safeguard and enhance parts of the country of particularly high landscape, wildlife or historic value....more info

Farm Woodland Premium Scheme

DEFRA's Farm Woodland Premium scheme (FWPS) aims to enhance the environment through the planting of farm woodlands, thereby improving the landscape, providing new habitats and increasing biodiversity. It supports the creation of farm woodland by encouraging farmers to convert productive agricultural land to woodlands through annual payments to compensate for agricultural income forgone....more info

Woodland Grant Scheme

The Woodland Grant Scheme (WGS) provides grants to create new woodlands and to encourage the good management and regeneration of existing woodlands....more info

Woodland Improvement Grants

The Challenge Scheme provides grants to encourage:

(a) The opening up of existing woodlands for informal recreational use.

(b) For work which will help bring woodlands which are under-managed or of low commercial value back into management.

(c) For work to assist woodland owners to manage their woods in ways which will implement the forestry aspects of Biodiversity, The UK Action Plan.

.....more info

Hill Farm Allowance

The Hill Farm Allowance (HFA) scheme is designed to ensure that agriculture continues to make its irreplaceable contribution to rural society and the managed environment of the English uplands by compensating hill farmers for the difficulties of farming in less favoured areas... .more info

Organic Farming Scheme

The aim of the OFS is to encourage the expansion of organic production. Under the scheme, farmers moving from conventional to organic farming methods receive financial help during the conversion process. The scheme is being continued and expanded under the Programme....more info

Government Initiatives to strengthen the Post Office network

Range of initiatives introduced by the Government to underpin the post office network and to encourage new entrants....more info

Community Renewables Initiative

The Community Renewables Initiative is designed to help local people and organisations devise and implement renewable energy developments which are environmentally sensitive....more info

Rural Transport Partnerships

This scheme supports local transport partnerships and projects to provide additional transport services or facilities in rural communities, including towns and villages...more info

Parish Transport Fund

This scheme supports small-scale transport projects which have been identified by parishes to meet local transport needs....more info

Rural Bus Challenge

Rural Bus Challenge funding can be used by Local Authorities to provide innovative transport projects within rural areas....more info

Rural Priority Areas

Rural Development Areas (RDA's) cover parts of 29 counties of England and 109 districts, including about 35% of the land area of England and some 6% of the population.  The Rural Development Commission provided two main types of assistance in the RDA's: support for integrated rural development programmes and assistance to individual enterprises....more info

Community Services Fund

The Community Services Fund will help those living in rural communities to meet their needs for local service provision. The fund will apply to parish areas, but applications can come from individuals, community groups, churches, independent retailers and parish councils....more info

Door Step Greens Initiative

As a result of a successful bid to the New Opportunities Fund, the Countryside Agency has been running a scheme (since Spring 2001) to assist 200 disadvantaged communities to design and create their own local green space or renew existing run-down spaces....more info

Walking the Way to Health Initiative

This initiative promotes the need to increase health and fitness through regular walking. The aim is to get more people walking in their local community which will benefit both their health and the local environment....more info

Local Heritage Initiative

Local Heritage Initiative is a national grant scheme that helps local groups to investigate, explain and care for their local landscape, landmarks, traditions and culture....more info

Market Towns Initiative

The Countryside Agency, in partnership with other organisations such as the regional development agencies, offers financial support for selected towns to carry out a market town healthcheck and implement an action plan....more info

Parish Plans Grant Scheme

Parish Plans are part of the Vital Villages Initiative and provides villages with grants to support planning and consultation activities in order to decide what your village needs most....more info

Business Support

Business Development Credits

This scheme is administered by Trade Partners UK and provides export vouchers that can be used if a company is looking to develop their exporting potential by doing such things as producing international literature, translations, shipping goods to exhibitions, stand space etc. Companies can be given up to £1,000, as long as the company can contribute at least and equal amount of the costs....more info

Business Improvement Districts (BIDs)

This programme helps local authorities and businesses work in partnership to improve their local area, using resources raised from that partnership.  Funding will be raised through a supplementary business rate levied on participating businesses in the BID area....more info

Coalfields Enterprise Fund

English Partnerships is working with the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) to establish a Coalfields Enterprise Fund. It will provide equity investments to small and medium-sized enterprises in the coalfields to diversify the economic base of the coalfields areas....more info

Community Development Venture Fund (CDVF)

It aims at increasing private investment in enterprises in disadvantaged communities by providing access to equity in disadvantaged areas....more info

Community Investment Tax Credit

This programme promotes enterprise in disadvantaged communities by increasing the flow of private capital into the community development sector. The tax credit will provide an incentive for this investment....more info

English Cities Fund

This programme attracts long term private involvement into priority areas for regeneration. These areas will be agreed as part of the Regional Development Agency's strategies and will include such things as Urban Regeneration Company areas....more info

Enterprise Grants

An Enterprise Grant is a once and for all form of financial assistance for SMEs investing in projects in the Enterprise Grant Areas of the English Regions, that would not otherwise go ahead.  Enterprise Grants complement the availability of commercial funds in helping firms to finance their growth….more info

Support for Exhibitions and Seminars abroad

Exhibitions and Seminars abroad provides financial support for new exporters who wish to participate in exhibitions and seminars abroad.  This initiative is administered through Trade Partners UK….more info

Export Promoter Initiative

The Export Promoter Initiative helps UK small and medium-sized enterprises and larger companies to win business overseas. It is a programme of secondments from private industry in Whitehall, and provides SMEs and larger companies with a unique resource - market or sector experts with hands-on experience to advise about promoting their business and put them in touch with overseas buyers....more info

Exports - Outward Mission Scheme

Outward Missions provide an extensive framework of both practical and financial help for UK businesses travelling abroad as part of a group to markets outside Western Europe to promote UK goods and services….more info

Inner City 100 Project

Identify and promote the 100 fastest-growing businesses in deprived urban areas. Generate significant positive publicity around these businesses in order to spread awareness of opportunities for enterprise in disadvantaged communities.  Selected businesses receive Free public relations, including articles in the Financial Times. Introductions to venture capitalists for leading businesses....more info

Network Space

This programme develops and manages workspace premises to meet the needs of small and expanding businesses in the English coalfield areas....more info

New Entrepreneur Scholarships.

This programme helps people from deprived areas develop the skills to set up and run their own business....more info

One hundred per cent Capital Allowances for flats over shops for letting.

This programme encourages recycling of vacant and underused space above shops and similar commercial premises into flats for letting....more info

Partnership at Work Fund

The Fund is a grant award scheme designed to improve employer-employee relationships, workplace productivity and job satisfaction. Projects for support under the Fund are invited on a competitive basis during fixed rounds. Organisations could be looking at partnerships for the first time or building on existing efforts. The grant scheme offers up to 50% funding of eligible projects that are looking to adopt partnership approaches. The applicants must meet the remainder of the costs and the maximum grant available is £50,000....more info

Prince's Trust

The Trust exists to help young people fulfil their potential. The Trust works with 14 to 30 year olds who face disadvantage - offering them the support, encouragement and basic financial assistance they need to achieve their goals....more info

Regional Innovation Fund

The funding will enable the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) to promote regional competitiveness, innovation and enterprise, and to support clusters and networks of businesses in their areas....more info

Regional Selective Assistance

Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) is a discretionary grant which provides assistance towards projects with fixed capital expenditure over £500,000 and which will create or safeguard employment in the Assisted Areas.

Most businesses investing in manufacturing are eligible to apply for a grant, as are businesses in service industries that supply a national rather than local market where displacement of other similar employment is likely to occur, e.g. retailing, legal and accounting practices.  Applicants can be companies, partnerships or sole traders. Grants are not available simply to transfer jobs from one part of the country to another....more info

Regional Venture Capital Fund

This programme addresses a national market weakness in the provision of small-scale risk capital (amounts less than £500,000) to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with growth potential..... more info

Business Incubation Fund

The main aim of this loan fund is to help improve the chances of survival and growth of start-up and early stage SMEs through increasing the availability and access to business incubation, by funding the development of more business incubation projects. It is also aimed at widening the access of business incubation to all those who wish to start-up in their local communities, and who would benefit from it.....more info

Science Enterprise Challenge

This programme establishes university centres of enterprise. These encourage the commercialisation of science and technology research, and teach business skills to science students....more info

Small Business Service Phoenix Fund

To encourage entrepreneurship as a means of tackling social exclusion. This includes:

*                   A Development Fund to encourage innovative ideas to support enterprises in disadvantaged areas and amongst groups of people who are under-represented in business. This includes communities affected by major change and groups such as people with disabilities, older people and ex-offenders.

*                    A Challenge Fund and Loan Guarantees to help resource Community Finance Initiatives (CFIs) and encourage commercial and charitable lending to that sector....more info

Small Firms Training Loan

An SFTL is a commercial bank loan offered in partnership between the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and eight high street banks. Its aim is to enable small firms to access funds in order to train their staff….more info

Development Fund for Rural Renewal (DFRR

The Development Fund for Rural Renewal (DFRR) is an element of the Phoenix Fund which is one of the major strands of the new National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal announced in January of last year, following the work of Policy Action Teams set up by the Social Exclusion Unit to examine a wide range of problems linked to social exclusion. The outbreak of Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) has focused attention on the difficulties and fragility of the rural economy. It is for this reason that a separate fund has been established to address problems specific to the FMD outbreak....more info

Small Business Service Loan Guarantee Scheme

This programme helps small businesses with viable business proposals to obtain finance they would not otherwise get because they lack assets as security against a conventional loan or overdraft....more info

Small Business Service - Small Firms Research Initiative

The Small Business Research Initiative is designed to increase the success of smaller firms in obtaining contracts from Government bodies to conduct research and development....more info

Small Business Service - SMART Scheme

Smart is the SBS initiative that provides grants to help individuals and small and medium-sized businesses to make better use of technology and to develop technologically innovative products and processes....more info

Stamp duty exemption in certain disadvantaged communities

This programme encourages businesses to relocate to, or expand in, disadvantaged communities and to enhance the development and occupation of new and second-hand housing in those communities. Awaiting date of application from Treasury....more info

UK High Technology Fund

This programme encourages more institutional investors to invest in early stage high technology growth companies in the UK....more info

Work Live Balance Challenge Fund

The Fund pays consultants to work with businesses developing work-life balance strategies. They help employers to:

* Assess the business benefits of flexible working arrangements
* Identify the needs of employees
* Find and implement solutions that meet the needs of employer, customer and employee....more info

Community Development

Active Community Experience Corps

The Experience Corps is an independent, non-profit-making company, funded by a grant from the Home Office, set up to encourage people, aged 50 and over, to offer their skills and experience to benefit others in their local communities....more info

Adult and Community Learning Fund

The Fund has supports community-based organisations to develop and sustain innovative adult learning projects.  As a result of the Fund, around 400 large and small projects have received funds ranging from a few hundred pounds to over £100,000...¦.more info

Better Government for Older People Programme

Better Government for Older People Programme was launched in 1998 to improve public services for older people. It is a unique partnership between central government, local government, the voluntary sector, the academic world and older....more info

Business in the Community - Local Investment Fund

Business in the Community makes loans to economically viable, not-for-profit community enterprises who have been unable to secure funds from traditional sources.  It aims to enable community organisations to move from grant dependency and towards self-sufficiency....more info

Capital Mentoring Fund

The Active Community Unit (ACU) plans to run a mentoring capital grant round in 2003-4. The total funds available are £600,000. Bids will be considered for capital purchases to support projects in the delivery of their voluntary mentoring services outside schools. All mentoring organisations fitting the grant criteria, to be outlined, will be invited to apply to this competitive grant round....more info

Childrens Fund

The Children's Fund will amount to £380 million over three years (2001-4) to fund services to prevent children and their families suffering from the consequences of poverty. Other funding will be available through the Children's Fund Local Networks. The fund will primarily target 5-13 year olds at risk of social exclusion....more info

Childrens Fund -Local Network Fund for Children and Young People

The aim of the Local Network Fund is to help children in poverty achieve their potential by investing directly in the activities of local community and voluntary groups working for and with children and young people aged 0-19.  The Local Network Fund will be available throughout England by April 2003....more info

Coalfields Regeneration Trust

The Trust supports the social and economic regeneration of the former coalfields of England, Scotland and Wales....more info

Community Champions

Community Champions aims to provide support for individuals who are already active in their communities by developing their skills and to encourage greater community involvement in regeneration activity. The fund aims to support communities where there is little community activity or direct involvement in developing plans for regeneration, and where this is seen as a barrier to helping them access support from other funding sources to improve their quality of life....more info

Community Chest Programme

This programme supports the activities of formal and informal community groups in the 88 most deprived areas. This is a first step towards their more formal involvement in neighbourhood renewal....more info

Community Development Venture Fund

The Fund aims to stimulate the provision (and benefits) of venture capital to viable SME's, which are capable of substantial growth, and that are located in the 25% most deprived wards in England as classified under the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) ranking....more info

Community Empowerment Fund

The Community Empowerment Fund helps residents develop and drive through their ideas to help them participate in Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs). This is intended to add value to resources currently being invested locally either in direct- funding for community involvement in service specific partnerships or indirect funding for the infrastructure that supports community involvement....more info

Community Investment Tax Credit

The Community Investment Tax Credit provides tax relief to those providing finance to Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs) for on-lending to enterprises in disadvantaged communities that are excluded from mainstream sources of finance....more info

Community Legal Service Partnerships

Community Legal Service Partnerships (CLSPs) are responsible for establishing local networks of quality providers of legal services, supported by co-ordinated funding and delivering services to local communities based on identified priority need. The local networks are fully inclusive and cover a full range of different levels and types of help; they therefore include solicitors in private practice, but also Citizens Advice Bureaux, Law Centres, and other groups in the Not-For-Profit sector, as well as Trading Standards Officers and local authority services....more info

Early Year Development and Childcare Partnerships

Provides funding to 150 Early Year Development and Childcare Partnerships to help implement the Governments Child Care Strategy....more info

Education Action Zones

This programme allows deprived areas to set up partnerships to target areas of need and to develop innovative and radical solutions for raising educational standards....