Devon Renaissance Rural Funding

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Devon Renaissance is funded primarily by the South West Regional Development Agency to provide grant funding to help create prosperity and jobs and to improve access to services in rural areas. The partnership offers funding and support for rural regeneration projects across most areas of rural Devon.

Devon Renaissance is not simply a provider of money. Their team also gives hands-on project development support as needed and will work with those seeking funding to help them develop their projects. 

Projects can include; converting a redundant building to provide business premises; refurbishing a community centre; providing vocational training for individuals; specialist advice  to small businesses; delivering outreach support and advice to socially excluded people. Please see the foot of this page or a fuller list of the sorts of projects already funded by Devon Renaissance. Devon Renaissance is able to accept applications from the public, private and voluntary sectors.

The Community Boost Fund

The Community Boost Fund (CBF) is a small scale capital funding scheme aimed at creating and supporting sustainable communities across rural Devon. CBF provides grants of between £5,000 and £15,000 on the basis of 50% match funding. The scheme has been designed to support the delivery of services to communities, with preference being given to projects in hard to reach areas that are currently lacking in service provision.  By investing in projects to improve community facilities, the CBF aims to enable groups to work towards increasing their social and / or economic and / or environmental sustainability.  Funding is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and funds are limited.

Projects must be of benefit to rural communities (defined as settlements of fewer than 10,000 people), and must be based and delivering within East, Mid and North Devon, the South Hams, Teignbridge, Torridge and West Devon.

PLEASE NOTE: The funds available for the Community Boost Fund are currently fully allocated and further applications are not currently being encouraged. For more information contact contact Paul Edwards at CCD on 01392 382535 or email paul@devonrcc.org.uk for more information

Click on CBF for more information

Devon Renaissance Funding Priorities

Devon Renaissance has four priority areas towards which it directs funding:

• Priority 1: Improving Business Skills & Business Development. Click on Priority One Guidance to see the specific areas of interest under this heading.
• Priority 2: Improving Physical Capital and Business Infrastructure. Click on Priority Two Guidance to see the specific areas of interest under this heading.
• Priority 3: Promoting Innovation, Productivity, Technology and Environmental Efficiency. Click on Priority Three Guidance to see the specific areas of interest under this heading.
• Priority 4: Access to Services. Click on Priority Four Guidance to see the specific areas of interest under this heading.

Applying to Devon Renaissance

Applications to Devon Renaissance require the submission of an initial Expression of Interest.Contact Devon Renaissance for advice first. Ideally, you should have already developed a five year business plan which explains who you are; what you want to do; how you intend to do it and how you foresee your project funding itself beyond the period of the Devon Renaissance grant. For a simple guide to business planning [ Click Here ] . You should should also be able to provide robust evidence of community need for your project such as a recently conducted survey of possible users/customers or a section in your Parish Plan.

The Expression of Interest Form, the Guidance Notes, the full Application Forms and associated documents can be downloaded at Devon Renaissance Downloads . Contact Devon Renaissance for advice before forwarding an Expression of Interest.

For more information on Devon Renaissance, visit their homepage [ Click Here ]  and also see the Devon Renaissance Information Leaflet .To contact Devon Renaissance call 01837 658 643 or email info@ruraldevon.org .

Application Dates of Next Funding Round

• Expressions of Interest (EoIs): 31 January 2007
• Project Group: 14 February 2007
• Management Board: 22 February 2007
• Full applications: 21 March 2007
• Project Group: 18 April 2007
• Management Board: 26 April 200

If the cost of the project is within Devon Renaissance's delegation and the project is not 'novel and contentious', the turn-around time is appproximately 4 months. There are six funding rounds per year.

Examples of Previously Funded Projects

Examples of projects previously funded by Devon Renaissance include:

• The provision of business consultancy services, business support and ICT training to small and medium enterprises or to voluntary and community organisations
• The provision of vocation training to targeted groups
• Wheels-to-Work schemes
• Schemes to address the low level of readiness for work, poor self-esteem and negative attitudes in non-academic school-leavers.
• Schemes to support new entrepreneurs with particular needs such as women or people with disabilites
• Return-to-Work schemes
• The provision of rural work spaces
• The promotion of community participation in regeneration schemes
• The rehabilitation of ex-offenders through skills-based training
• Schemes to promote the business, community and natural advantages of a particular geographic area
• Surveys of particular issues related to business or the community
• The promotion of energy-saving technologies for use by businesses and housesholds
• The refurbishment of redundant buildings for new uses
• Regeneration projects
• The promotion of local economies
• The teaching of certificated rural skills courses to targeted groups such as young people
• Development of facilities to promote and attract accessible tourism
• The development of master-plans for towns
• Schemes to promote the spread and use of Broadband
• Schemes to set up and/or develop farmers’ markets
• Schemes to address particular skills-shortages in the Devon workforce
• Schemes to provide rural outreach services in areas such as health and advice services
• The provision of  multi-use community facilities
• Community-led or private schemes to save rural shops and post offices for their communities
• The provision of travelling entertainment facilities for rural communities