Livery yard start-up.... Grants?

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WhiteHorseWendy

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*fingers crossed* we're buying a business currently comprising of holiday cottages and two fishing lakes, but I want to convert a large barn into indoor stables, maybe build a menage and sort the land out into paddocks/fields.

Can I get any grants? Perhaps for small/rural business start-up or development, or diversification/fenceing or hedging grants etc etc
 
don't know about business start up, but you can definitely get all sorts of financial support for hedges, land maintenance etc from the Environmental Stewardship Scheme - worth researching, start with defra
 
Hi - first port of call would be Business Link for your area. Depending on your region they may have grants available for 'consultancy' type projects e.g. website design, design of marketing materials, etc (our Business Link supports this sort of stuff but not printing or advertising costs) - they may also be able to help with other start up costs such as producing a business plan, legal costs (e.g. drafting contracts and lease negotiations), specialist financial advice. Go to www.businesslink.gov.uk and ring for an appointment with an advisor. They will not only be able to advise on what they can offer but also be able to signpost you to other appropriate support. After that, try the local enterprise agencies in your region who tend to support start-ups (which you are until you start trading) - these guys might also have small grants, generally from nil to £5,000 again depending on the region. If you are in a LEGI area, there will be money available too, through your local council. LEGI tends to be for more deprived areas so check the local council website for the area your business will be in.
RDPE (Rural Development Programme for England) also has grants available but again depending on how your Regional Development Agency (RDA) is administering it. This grant programme is, in our area anyway, into major rural development which should include equestrian diversification, and also micro business development, which again, also includes equestrian. Check your local RDA website www.emda.org.uk and look under their business/enterprise/funding/rural sections.
There may also be funding around tourism enterprise (again check with your local council / tourism agency / RDA)
And finally depending on what you intend to do with the business there could be specialist schemes to support e.g. if they have a charitable or community basis.
Natural England could potentially help with regards to ongoing land management (google Natural England and Axis 2)
Your Business Link advisor should be able to wade through all of this for you and do grant searches etc. So I'd definately ring them first and i would do as a pre-start rather than an established business as these tend to attract more support
Good luck
 
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