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Regional Chief Urges Rural Business To Apply For Funding

3 Jul 2008 04:46 PM Rural businesses are being urged to take advantage of the £9 million a year funding that is available from the Rural Development Programme for England.

Yorkshire Forward is using its stand at the Great Yorkshire Show to advise farmers and other rural businesses of the funding that can be accessed to support, amongst other things, the start up or expansion of a business, skills development in the agriculture and forestry sectors and investment in new technologies that allow livestock farmers to make better use of their waste, energy and water resources.

One of the first companies to access an RDPE Rural Enterprise Investment Grant is Muntons Malt Supply Chain Ltd, a company formed by Muntons Plc and three farming co-operatives, based in Bridlington in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

This £3.6 million collaborative project to provide storage facilities for 24,000 tonnes of high quality malting barley will benefit up to 100 farmers in the surrounding areas. The RDPE investment into the project is £723,000.

Tom Riordan, chief Executive of Yorkshire Forward said:

”Yorkshire Forward provides advice and support to all businesses in the region – usually through Business Link Yorkshire. We need to ensure that rural businesses are aware of this additional financial support that is available directly from Yorkshire Forward, and help them to maximise the benefits to their company.”

Guy Newsam, Director of Muntons Malt Supply Chain Ltd said:

“I’d advise any rural business to check out the help that is available from Yorkshire Forward. Thanks to the Rural Enterprise Investment Grant we shall be able to provide grain drying and storage facilities, together with branded barley contracts specific to our customer’s requirements. This will offer supply chain improvements in food safety and quality assurance.

“All partners in the chain, grower, maltster and brewer/distiller will be able to participate to ensure that the chain functions efficiently and the highest levels of quality are achieved throughout.”

Yorkshire Forward will have experienced rural business advisers on hand to discuss available funding on its stand, no. 616, Avenue E on each day at the Great Yorkshire Show To find out more visit www.yorkshire-forward.com/rdpe or visit one of the business advisers on the stand.

Notes to editors:
  1. Over the past year, Yorkshire Forward has created and safeguarded more than 22,254 new jobs; helped create and attract more than 1067 new businesses, assisted 60,005 people in skills, and attracted £467m in investment - achieving or exceeding all of the targets it was set.
  2. Yorkshire Forward’s investment across the region is maximised by attracting European Regional Development Funding from the Objective One and Two programmes.
  3. For further information, please contact Janice Crich, Press Officer, Yorkshire Forward, Tel 0113 394 9715; e-mail janice.crich@yorkshire-forward.com or Fax 0113 243 1088.