The Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF)
West Northamptonshire Council has been awarded 1.3 million pounds over 2 years to support projects under the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF).
According to the latest data, 176,000 (or 43%) of households live in Rural Areas within West Northamptonshire and this population is growing.
Challenges within this Rural context include an ageing population, lower social mobility, a lack of affordable housing and supply and poor access to digital infrastructure.
The REPF forms part of the wider Shared Prosperity Fund (SPF) where Northamptonshire is receiving approximately 5.4 million pounds.
The Government Prospectus for the fund can be seen here: Rural England Prosperity Fund: prospectus – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The REPF funding is divided between supporting Community and Place (in areas of less than 30,000 in population) and supporting Local Business.
Please note that Northampton Town is excluded from this funding as it has a current population of more than 30,000.
Applications are not being taken at this stage, but organisations are asked to consider Rural Priorities and complete the attached Snapshot Survey. To do this please contact Louis Devayya or Julia Raven to be given the appropriate login information.
West Northamptonshire Rural England Prosperity Fund (snapsurveys.com)
If you have any questions about the fund, please contact West Northamptonshire Council at the following:
- Louis Devayya, Senior Economic Growth Officer: Devayya@WestNorthants.gov.uk
- Julia Raven, Head of Economy, Culture & Tourism: Raven@WestNorthants.gov.uk
VIN attended a workshop on this fund on the 3rd of November 2022. The Presentation from that session can be viewed here.