Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme (RMCGS) general guidance notes

Overview

This Scheme is funded under the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI)  Programme. The key aim of the TRPSI Programme is to assist in tackling poverty and social isolation within rural communities across Northern Ireland, and, in line with the draft Green Growth Strategy for Northern Ireland provide opportunities to implement environmental improvements / energy efficiency measures. More information on the TRPSI Programme Framework is provided at Annex 3.

Key objectives

The Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme 2024/2025 has been designed to:

• Help rural community-led, voluntary groups to address local issues of access poverty, financial poverty and social isolation;
• Improve the lives of rural communities, and in particular the wellbeing of isolated individuals; and,
• In line with the draft Green Growth Strategy for Northern Ireland provide opportunity to community-led, voluntary groups to implement energy efficiency measures / environmental improvements.

If you would like more information about the Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme please contact your local Rural Support Network (RSN).

The Grant Scheme

Micro Capital grants between £500 and £2,000 are available to rural community-led, voluntary organisations for projects tackling issues of local poverty and / or social isolation, and / or implementing energy efficiency measures / environmental improvements. Projects must focus on one of the following four themes:

• Modernistaion (of building(s) / assets).
• Information Communication Technology (ICT).
• Health and Wellbeing.
• Energy Efficiency* / Environment Improvement**.

The Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme can offer grant aid from 50% up to 85% of the total eligible cost of your project. NB: The total project cost must not exceed £4,000. Match funding for your contribution of at least 15% must be in the form of a ‘cash’ contribution. Labour or ‘in-kind’ contributions will not be accepted.

In order to ensure that as many groups as possible get the opportunity to benefit from this Scheme, organisations can only make one application to the Scheme.

What can be funded?

Grant aid can only be used to meet costs associated with capital equipment, the improvement of a capital asset and / or the extension of the useable life of a capital asset. Groups can apply for a wide range of capital items, such as office equipment, furniture, sports goods, kitchen fittings and minor capital works to improve premises. NB: Please note that clothing and consumables e.g. ink, paper, etc. are ineligible

Eligible items must clearly relate to the key themes of (i) Modernisation, (ii) ICT, (iii) Health & Wellbeing, or (iv) Implement energy efficiency* / environmental improvements measures**.

*To encourage local communities to implement energy efficiency / environmental improvements eligible costs may include, e.g., draft proofing, double glazed windows, change of lighting to LED, light sensors/timers, insulation, replace kettles with a water boiler.

**Environmental improvements eligible costs may include the purchase of 100% gardening equipment, e.g. tunnel kits, pots, spades, hoes and raised beds. A maximum 15% of the overall project costs may be used to purchase plants, trees, hedges, flowers etc. (Plants / shrubs / flowers must be perennial, i.e. plants that live multiple seasons).

As this is a capital programme, the following types of activity cannot be funded.

• General maintenance 
• Training 
• Hospitality, Food, Drink
• Clothing, Uniforms
• Motorised vehicles
• Running costs & Consumables (e.g. ink cartridges, paper) 
• Staff / Volunteer expenses
• Labour costs not directly associated with purchased Capital works / items
• Feasibility Studies / Reports
• Furniture accessories including cushions, curtains.

This list is not exhaustive, if you are in doubt about the eligibility of your project please contact your local Rural Support Network (RSN) before applying.

Who can apply?

You can apply for a Micro Capital grant if:

• you are a rural community or voluntary organisation or Social Economy Enterprise who requires fundind for a project tackling a local issue of poverty and / or social isolation. NB: Evidence will be required from the group constitution and accounts to prove all the criterion is met;
• the organisation is based in a rural area. A definition of rural is detailed at Annex 1;
• you have a formal Constitution or governing documents;
• you have a minimum of three people on your management committee (this must be clearly detailed within your constitution or governing documents);
• you have a bank or building society account in the name of your group, which requires at least two signatures for each withdrawal (this must be clearly detailed within your constitution or governing documents);
• you can enclose copy of your most recent Accounts or a signed Financial Statement. The Financial Statement must be signed by a person in authority within your organisation, i.e. Chairperson, Secretary or Treasurer, or provided with the authority to act on the organisation’s behalf; If the latter is the case, evidence of permission must be uploaded to the online system.
• you need a capital grant between £500 and £2,000 for a specific poverty or social isolation project
• You are the sole applicant and owner OR leasee of the building for which the application to RMCGS 2024/2025 is being made.
• you can provide two quotes (net after taking into account recoverable VAT) for each item to be purchased. Delivery costs can be included as an additional cost. NB: Online quotes (e.g., Amazon) cannot be from the same supplier. Where delivery costs are being claimed, these must be detailed on all relevant quotes.
• your organisation can deliver the project, pay the supplier(s) and submit a grant claim by 25 October 2024 (including reimbursement of credit cards / loans);
• you are appropriately insured or prepared to obtain appropriate insurance if awarded a grant (building or contents insurance as appropriate).

What cannot be funded?

You cannot fund the following:

• Organisations based in urban areas;
• Individuals, Sole traders and / or Commercial trading companies;
• Companies that exist to distribute a profit;
• Statutory Authorities or organisations governed by Statutory Authorities;
• Appeals or charities set up to support statutory bodies;
• Organisations with an income in excess of £80,000 (not including in-year restricted funds, e.g. non-business / grant income);
• More than one application to modernise a building.
• Costs already incurred – an application cannot be made for capital items that have already been ordered or received before the award of a Letter of Offer;
• Grant cannot be used to match another funder’s project;
• Projects where the value of match funding is greater than the value of grant; and
• Second-hand equipment.

Eligibility

Your application will be considered against the Eligibility Criteria for the Scheme (Please carefully consider the criteria listed at Annex 2, this will be used to determine if your application is eligible). Only the information contained within your application will be used during this process and no additional information other than that provided with your application will be considered.

As this Scheme is funded as part of DAERA’s Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Programme, you must also demonstrate within your application how your project will contribute to reducing rural poverty and / or social isolation within your local community. Annex 3 refers.

Please note

1. We intend to inform applicants if their application is considered ‘ineligible’ within six weeks of the closing date.
2. If your application is eligible, we will contact you with details of the Letter of Offer Workshops* in your region. You must not start your project until you have attended the Letter of Offer Workshop and/or contacted your local RSN to agree to the Terms and Conditions of the Letter of Offer.

   Your organisation's representative who submitted the application must attended a Letter of Offer Workshop.

3. Your project must be completed and your claim for grant submitted 25 October 2024. No extensions will be given.
4. You must incur the initial cost of your purchases and then claim your grant once your project is completed. Your organisation must have paid for all project expenditure and submitted a claim for payment by 25 October 2024. No advance payments will be provided.
5. DAERA need to be made aware immediately of any Conflict of Interest, however arising, that may occur between your organisation and any other organisation, supplier, person or employee associated in any way with the delivery of the Project.
6. Following completion, your project may be selected by DAERA for a verification check to ensure your grant aid is being used for the purposes intended.
7. The application should identify the likely benefits to the rural population of the completed project by recording the expected number of people with access to or using the new or improved facilities/equipment.

How to apply

This Scheme is open for applications from 14 June 2024 until 12pm Midday 08 July 2024.

To apply, complete the online form by entering all the relevant information and uploading all the additional documents required. The application should be submitted by a committee member of the organisation, or a person with the authority of the organsiation to make the application. Upon submission of the online application form, an auto generated e-mail receipt confirming the application has been submitted will issue to the email used to register the application.

If you have any queries please contact your local RSN Team.

The following documents must be included with your application:

• Your group’s Constitution / governing documents. These documents should clearly detail that there are more than 2 members on the Management Committee and state the group’s financial procedures for transactions, noting that at least 2 signatures are required.
• Your most recent Accounts or a signed Financial Statement, signed by a committee member of the organisation.
• Two like-for-like, quotations from at least 2 different suppliers for item(s) that you wish to purchase. Procurement requirements are outlined at Annex 1 of these guidance notes. NB: Online quotes (e.g., Amazon) cannot be from the same supplier.
• The lease or proof of ownership (for a project involving work to your building)

Please refer to Annex 1 and Annex 2 for further information.

The onus to ensure that your application is received before the closing date rests solely with each applicant. Therefore please ensure that you leave sufficient time to submit your application by the closing date.

Under no circumstances will late or incomplete applications be accepted.

If you would like more information about the Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme 2024/2025 or have a specific query, please contact your local Rural Support Network (RSN).

The Department takes data protection, freedom of information and environmental information issues seriously. It takes care to ensure that any personal information received from you is dealt with in a way which complies with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (2016). This means that any personal information you supply will be processed principally for the purpose for which it has been provided. However, the Department is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you have provided for this purpose.

A full copy of the DAERA Privacy Statement can be found using the link below:-

• DAERA Privacy Statement 

Annex 1 - Rural location

Definition of a Rural Area

Settlements with populations in excess of 5,000 inhabitants

For the purposes of the Scheme, RMCGS 2024/2025, rural Norther Ireland means all those areas outsdie the statutory development limits of those towns with a population in excess of 5,000 inhabitants plus the areas of Strathfoyle, Newbuildings, and Clumore, in Derry/Londonderry Urban Area (OUA) and Milltown, Helens Bay, Crawfordsburn, and Groomsport in the Belfast Meteropolitan Urban Area (BMUA).

For further information, please contact your local Rural Support Network.

Annex 2 - Procurement

NB: This document details the criteria that will be used to confirm if your application is eligible. The application must be submitted by a committee member within the organisation.

** Applicant must meet all eligibility criteria to proceed to selection **

Please remember – you must supply the relevant documentation with your application, e.g. Constitution / Governing documents, quotes, copy of your lease / proof of ownership for projects involving work to your building.

Failure to supply these documents will result in your application being deemed ineligible.

Closing date for receipt of completed application forms is 12 midday on 08 July 2024. No late or incomplete applications will be accepted.

Annex 3 - Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Framework - Draft Green Growth Strategy for Northern Ireland

The Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Framework focuses on three Priority Areas for Intervention, namely Access Poverty, Financial Poverty and Social Isolation, and aims to support measures designed to address these priorities in rural areas. It is recognised that there is potential for significant overlap between the three priority areas and that individual measures may address more than one priority area.

Access Poverty

This priority aims to improve access to key services for vulnerable rural dwellers by supporting interventions which:

• Improve urban-rural linkages (e.g. through the provision of better transport and broadband services etc.);
• Improve access to key services (e.g. healthcare, education and training, leisure facilities, library services, advice services, childcare etc.).

Financial Poverty 

This priority aims to address financial poverty among vulnerable rural dwellers by supporting interventions which:

• reduce household expenditure or other living costs (e.g. transport costs);
• increase household incomes; (e.g. through improved employability, employment opportunities, entrepreneurship, increased benefit uptake etc.);
• address issues relating to the additional costs faced by people living in rural areas (e.g. fuel costs);
• address the barriers to escaping financial poverty (e.g. low qualifications, low skills, lack of access to affordable childcare, lack of access to quality jobs, disengagement, lack of access to information and advice, poor health etc.);
• help alleviate the effects of financial poverty (e.g. food poverty, health problems, obesity among children, debt etc.).

Social Isolation

This priority aims to address social isolation among vulnerable rural dwellers by supporting interventions which:

• promote positive mental health and wellbeing;
• increase opportunities for social engagement (e.g. social activities, sport and leisure activities, cultural activities etc.);
• provide support to groups at risk of social isolation (e.g. farmers, older people, people with disabilities, disengaged youth, etc.).

Draft Green Growth Strategy for Northern Ireland

This draft Strategy establishes Government’s Green Growth vision and principles and sets out its commitments to tackling the climate crisis. Already, Northern Ireland has taken significant action for the climate and our environment, has placed nature and biodiversity on a path to recovery, and moved from a high to a low emissions society.

Green Growth means recognising and accepting the impact we have on our planet and doing something about it.

Green Growth is about more than just climate targets. It also considers the wider environment as well as green jobs. Northern Ireland’s environment is one of its most important assets. Clean air, good quality water and the green and blue spaces are part of our ‘natural capital’. The RMCGS 2024/2025 has continued with the Theme to provide the opportunity to community-led groups to consider going green and become more sustainable.