Deadline: October 23, 2025
East Cambridgeshire District Council is offering the Rural England Prosperity Business Capital Grant Fund 2025 for existing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a turnover under £1 million in East Cambridgeshire to support local business investment, growth, and job creation through capital expenditure from October to December 2025.
Applicant businesses should have in place a strong business plan that demonstrates plans to grow the business, how funding will be used to support this growth, where applicable how funding will support job creation including apprenticeships, how the funding will support the business to respond to market changes, a clear delivery plan for the project that the funding is supporting, and how the funding will be of benefit to the wider local economy, for example, supply chains.
The Rural England Prosperity Business Capital Grant Fund 2025 provides £195,716 in funding for capital expenditure to support local business investment priorities within East Cambridgeshire. Eligible applicants are existing SMEs located in East Cambridgeshire with an annual turnover below £1 million. Applicants must have a strong business plan outlining growth strategies, project delivery plans, and potential benefits to the local economy.
Certain businesses are not eligible for funding. This includes businesses outside East Cambridgeshire, those with turnover exceeding £1 million, businesses already receiving maximum UK Subsidy Control funding, companies in administration or insolvency, intermediaries acting on behalf of other businesses, and charities unless applying through a trading arm.
Eligible activities include creating or safeguarding jobs, using new technologies or processes, bringing new products to market, and demonstrating improvements in business productivity. The funding can cover capital expenditure such as the purchase of machinery, equipment that enhances productivity including technology and IT equipment, and renovation or construction of buildings, provided planning consent is in place.
The programme does not support revenue expenditure such as website development, training, marketing campaigns, debt repayment, staff salaries, or general business overheads. All funding is reimbursed to applicants following the submission of proof of eligible expenditure. Applicants must provide three comparable quotes for purchases, and the lowest quote is expected to be selected unless a justification is provided.
The grant funding ranges from a minimum of £5,000 to a maximum of £15,000 per applicant, covering up to 60% of project costs. Applicants must ensure match funding is in place before submission.
For more information, visit ECDC.
