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Funding for rural businesses
Delivering Rural Investment for Vital Employment (DRIVE) is a new capital grant programme being offered by Norfolk County Council in partnership with Suffolk County Council
DRIVE is a new business mentoring and grant funding support programme for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Norfolk and Suffolk.
The programme supports businesses that impact Norfolk and Suffolk’s rural economy; all eligible businesses must demonstrate how they help to grow the local, rural economy.
DRIVE provides local businesses with access to a capital grant to invest in a new business development project (capital projects only) that leads to new job creation. New employment creation must only occur after an applicant has a funding contract with the DRIVE programme.
You could receive:
- Up to 12 hours of free guidance from a Business Mentor to evaluate your project plan, business plans, and DRIVE application.
- A grant between £5,000 and £40,000 (up to 40% of total project costs). A minimum total cost of a project is £12,500.
If you are a business with a project idea, go to About DRIVE for more information including who is eligible and how to apply.
Our Local Investment Boards page has information for Local Investment Board (LIB) members.