Rural businesses in Northumberland encouraged to apply for share of £1.1mllion funding
Rural businesses in Northumberland with growth plans designed to increase production and capacity within the business are being urged to apply for their share of £1.1m of government funding.
The Northumberland Small Business Service, delivered by Northumberland County Council is running until March 2026. They have recently been awarded further funding worth £1.1m for this financial year to support micro – small sized rural businesses looking to grow their business. The pot currently stands at £1.1 million. This is in addition to the £1.5million form the first phase of funding, that has already been committed to projects across the rural areas of the county.
The Northumberland Small Business Service (NSBS) is delivered by Northumberland County Council. The project is part funded by the North East Combined Authority and the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Rural England Prosperity Fund, with the North East Combined Authority as the lead authority
The Northumberland Small Business Service Investment Grant is designed to stimulate economic growth, create local jobs, and support business innovation and increase in capacity and production..
The grants are between £10,000 and £300,000 and are available to eligible micro and small businesses located within rural Northumberland, supporting capital investment in projects that lead to long-term growth, improved productivity, or market diversification.
Delivered by Northumberland County Council, the NSBS Investment Grant is part-funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Rural England Prosperity Fund. The programme runs until 31 March 2026, with all funded projects to be completed by December 2025.
The first phase of funding saw 19 businesses supported through the programme included a range of projects that delivered huge economic impacts for the County as well as supporting the creation and safeguarding of over 100 rural jobs and helped businesses invest in equipment, infrastructure, and innovation across key sectors such as manufacturing, food production and tourism attractions. Projects included a funding boost to Morpeth based Northumberland Logs. The business, which now holds over 1,500 tonnes of timber at any given time, needed support to facilitate growth and improve efficiency. The capital grant has allowed Northumberland Logs to purchase new machinery, helping to further the business’s expansion.
James Cookson, owner of Northumberland Logs who has accessed the grant said, “We couldn’t have done this without the capital grant funding; it’s been absolutely crucial to the progression of the business. We want to develop further and believe
there’s room for growth, which has now become possible thanks to the grant from NSBS.”
Programme Manager, Lucy Evermore said “The NSBS Investment Grant has already made a real difference to rural businesses by unlocking growth, securing jobs and stimulating investment. With £1.1 million still available, we’re encouraging more businesses to step forward and take advantage of this opportunity to scale up, diversify, and contribute to the continued success of Northumberland’s rural economy.”
NSBS also offers assistance to micro-small sized businesses across Northumberland. The experienced team and its range of experts work directly with businesses and individuals to help them start, grow, diversify, and sustain their ventures through workshops, 1-2-1 support and networking events across the county.
This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.
If you have any questions about the event or the Northumberland Small Business Service, please visit Northumberland Small Business Service or contact the team at business@businessnorthumberland.co.uk.