Businesses invited to apply for rural initiative grants

01 December 2011

Rural and maritime businesses in Jersey have until 10 February 2012 to apply for a Rural Initiative Scheme (RIS) grant.

RIS grants are aimed at helping these businesses adapt and diversify to meet future market challenges.

The Minister for Economic Development, Senator Alan Maclean, said “The objective of the RIS is to provide support for rural businesses investing in new markets, adding value to existing products, improving productivity, reducing costs of production, adapting to future challenges or researching new opportunities. Since 2006 the RIS has helped 82 rural projects providing match funding of up to 45% of project costs amounting to £1.1 million, enabling applicants to achieve their objectives set out in agreed 3 year business plans. I encourage the rural community to take advantage of the scheme to improve their future prospects and profitability.”

Assistance from the RIS is available under 4 categories:

• a research grant which allows businesses to explore options before identifying a course of action
• an energy efficiency grant which allows businesses to evaluate and develop technologies which can reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions
• an enterprise grant which offsets some of the costs of starting a new business
• an industry-wide grant which provides assistance for common infrastructure that would benefit the industry as a whole.

The RIS is looking to support projects that:

• increase niche markets and the develop new ‘value added’ processes and markets
• improve productivity, sales and reduced costs
• raise the share a business receives within the supply chain
• improve skilled employment opportunities, through job creation, education and training
• assist rural businesses to adapt and mitigate against climate change
• develop and implement new waste management procedures
• promote and develop new rural-tourism initiatives
• implement best practice operating procedures throughout the rural sector
• encourage Island producers to evaluate export market potential

All applications must be completed and returned to the scheme administrator at Rural Economy by 10 February 2012 to be considered by the RIS Panel.

Rural Initiative Scheme (benefits and financial support section)