Rural Development - GROW South Antrim

GROW South Antrim - Rural Development Programme 2007 - 2013

Are you a farmer, a member of a farm family, community organisation or one of the many other people who live or work in our countryside? If so, the Rural Development Programme is an excellent opportunity to improve, expand or diversify. If you have a development idea, GROW support can help turn your ideas into reality.

GROW South Antrim (Generating Rural Opportunities Within South Antrim) has a budget of approximately £8.9million to allocate to rural communities across Antrim, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey.

GROW's funding comes from the European Union and the Department of Agriculture & Rural Development and is being distributed as part of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2007 - 2013. GROW is one of seven clusters delivering the Programme across Northern Ireland.
Importantly, local people are involved in the decision making process of distributing these funds. Our programme is strategically delivered by a Joint Committee representing Antrim, Carrickfergus and Newtownabbey Borough Councils and implemented by a Local Action Group comprised of representatives from the area from business, community, agriculture, council and statutory sectors.
Who can benefit?

GROW supports projects that are based, or that demonstrate a significant impact within a rural area of South Antrim. Support can be offered to:

o Individuals
o Farmers & Members of Farm Families
o Private Businesses
o Community Groups
o Not-for-Profit Organisations
o Non Departmental Public Bodies

Support is available from GROW South Antrim under six themes, which are common to all Rural Development Programmes across the European Union:

- Diversification into non-agricultural activities
- Support for business creation and development
- Encouragement of tourism activities
- Basic services for the economy and rural population
- Village renewal and development
- Conservation and upgrading the rural heritage

For detailed information on these themes, please visit the GROW website www.growsouthantrim.com

GROW is open for Expressions of Interest for all Programme measures. This Expression of Interest form can be downloaded from the 'How to Apply' section of the GROW website. There is no deadline for this form to be returned. Once we have received this we will be in contact with you regarding the eligibility of the proposed project and to advise you how to proceed with the formal application process. Dates of application calls will be available on the GROW homepage and advertised in local press.

For further information on eligible areas and projects, or to request an Expression of Interest, please contact the GROW office on 028 9448 3113 or email info@growsouthantrim.com