Yorkshire Forward Column: Shop window for food producers helped by support funds

Next Tuesday sees the start of the Great Yorkshire Show and this year chocolates, bread, cheese, and wine will all be on sale at the Yorkshire Forward stand. But there is a genuine business case for it – the makers have received Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) funding.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Jul 2010, 16:16 BST
Updated 9th Jul 2010, 16:17 BST

We are using our presence at stand 617 to create a One Stop Shop for the region's rural businesses in order to showcase the support available. RDPE is jointly funded by Defra and the European Union and managed by Yorkshire Forward.

Our rural skills programme will be launching its 1m training grant scheme. Landskills deliver subsidised training and learning activities for the livestock, arable, production horticulture, forestry and food sectors.

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Two of the support programmes for farm-based businesses will also be

at the show – Growing Routes, which provides pre-start business support and training and Farm to Share for farm businesses wishing to work together.

Farexchange, which supports livestock and arable farmers to improve competitiveness and efficiency through supply chains, will also be present at the Yorkshire Forward stand,

RDPE also provides funding to the British Pig Executive (BPEX) to work with the regions' pig farmers to control and reduce disease.

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General start up advice will be available from Business Link Yorkshire who will also provide information on the RDPE Rural Business Support Programme that they administer on behalf of us and which offers grants of up to 25,000. Cutting waste and emissions is good for the environment and for businesses' bottom line, so CO2Sense Yorkshire will also be at the stand to discuss how to make the most of this.

Businesses will be on hand to discuss how to apply for a grant, the benefits of the support and sell you some of their products. Holmfirth Vineyard was able to build a new winery, buy equipment and train employees. Choc Affair, in Naburn, accessed a grant to purchase new equipment.

The Gluten Free Kitchen, a specialist bakery in Hawes, received RDPE funding to relocate, allowing them to increase their operation. Yorkshire Fine Cheese Ltd, in Shepley used RDPE funding to convert former canteen premises into a modern dairy.

But there is so much more to RDPE than just giving businesses funding and this is what we aim to demonstrate at this year's Great Yorkshire Show – and we urge rural businesses to come and visit our stand.

CW 10/7/10

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