DAERA Minister Andrew Muir has announced that over the past year, more than £7.91 million in grants has been awarded to over 2,350 rural community organisations and businesses across Northern Ireland. These funds were distributed through the Department’s Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme and Rural Business Development Grant Scheme to support local initiatives, strengthen rural communities, and promote sustainable business growth.
During a visit to Moneyslane Rural Community Organisation, Minister Muir highlighted the impact of a £1,491 grant from the Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme, which helped modernise the local Community Hub. He emphasised that the scheme, part of the Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Framework, plays a vital role in enabling rural voluntary organisations to implement projects addressing poverty, isolation, loneliness, and health and wellbeing challenges. Minister Muir praised the ongoing contributions of voluntary groups in enhancing facilities and opportunities for local communities.
The Minister also visited BWE Equestrian Ltd in Ballyward, a rural micro-business receiving £5,850 from the Rural Business Development Grant Scheme to purchase a soil decompaction machine. He noted that the scheme has provided £6.17 million to 1,310 rural businesses, supporting sustainability, growth, innovation, and job creation. He highlighted the importance of such grants in enabling businesses to expand operations, enter new markets, and invest in their future.
Minister Muir concluded that both the Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme and the Rural Business Development Grant Scheme are central to his commitment to building strong, sustainable, and diverse rural communities where people want to live, work, and invest. The schemes offer micro-grants between £500 and £2,000 to community organisations and capital grants up to £7,500 to rural businesses, helping address locally identified needs and promote economic resilience in rural Northern Ireland.
