Rural England Prosperity Fund

6.Evaluation

Applications will be assessed as received. We will first check them against the following criteria:

  • Completeness
  • The eligibility criteria as detailed in sections 3 and 4 above
  • Fit to REPF objectives
  • Deliverability by 20 March 2026.

If your project does not satisfy the above points, it will not be funded.

Please note that planning permission can take some time to secure which may impact on the deliverability of your project by 20 March 2026. You should read the guidance on planning requirements from the Test Valey Borough Council website before application if your project includes building works Guidance | Test Valley Borough Council. No grant offer will be made until any necessary permissions or consents have been obtained.

Projects that satisfy the above criteria will be discussed at regular panel meetings. The panel will consider all complete, eligible, deliverable applications that fit the REPF objectives and have been received at least one week prior to the date of the meeting. In making their decisions, the panel will consider:

  • Evidence of need – eg how do you know there is demand for any new facilities, or what problems will new equipment solve? What are the consequences of not doing the project?
  • Anticipated impact – eg in terms of jobs created or safeguarded; new enterprises created, processes or technologies adopted, markets entered or assets created or improved; increased productivity etc.
  • Value for money – The impacts forecast versus the costs of the project. Could you fund without the grant? Would the project unlock future investment?
  • Project plan – eg is the timeline realistic? What are the risks and how will you manage them?
  • Project leadership – eg is it clear who will manage the project, and how they will do this? If a complex project, do the team have sufficient experience?
  • Engagement with other rural partners – eg how will the project benefit others? This might be by providing work to local suppliers or contractors, or providing products and services that will benefit the local rural economy
  • Contribution to net zero objectives – Have you considered and minimised the environmental footprint of your project? Will there be environmental costs or benefits of the project for your business or its customers?

When you complete your application form, you will have a greater chance of success if you have explained these things.

The panel will also consider your business’s assets and the amount of grant funding you have already received if more applications have been received than can be funded.

Panel members will discuss each proposal, raise any queries or concerns, and make decisions. Any queries and concerns will be shared with you, and your answers will be fed back to the panel members so that a decision can be reached on your project.

The panel may use discretion to award a different grant amount to that requested by you, depending on the number of applications received and what it considers appropriate to enable the fund to support more businesses. The funding is limited, and when the funding pot is exhausted, no further awards can be made.