Initiatives to Tackle Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI)

Rural Business Development Grant Scheme (RBDGS) 2025/2026

The RBDGS 2025/2026 is funded from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affair’s TRPSI Programme budget.

RBDGS offers grants of between £500 and £7,500 to micro businesses based in a rural areas to provide support towards their sustainability and growth.

The RBDGS 2025/2026 is now closed.

For more information contact your Local Council contact details.

Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme (RMCGS) 2025/2026

The RMCGS 2025/2026 , funded from the TRPSI Programme budget, offered Micro Capital grants of between £500 and £2,000 to rural community-led, voluntary organisations for projects tackling issues of local poverty and / or social isolation.

The Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme 2025/2026 is now closed.

For more information contact your Rural Support Network.

Local Rural Community Development Service (LRCDS)

DAERA developed the LRCDS to encourage and enhance community development infrastructure in rural communities, supporting rural groups and dwellers tackle issues including isolation, inclusion and rural poverty.

The LRCDS seeks to support action on outputs against four themes namely:

• Support for Community Planning
• Support for Isolated Rural People
• Support for the sustainability of Rural Villages
• Marginalised Minority Community Support (MMC)*

*MMC provides financial assistance for groups supporting marginalised minority communities in the rural border areas of Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon, Derry and Strabane, Mid-Ulster, Fermanagh Omagh and Newry, Mourne and Down, as an addition to the current LRCDS contract.

For more information contact your Rural Support Network.

Village Catalyst Programme

Applications are invited from charities, social enterprise and other not-for-profit groups in rural villages of less than 5,000 people who want to tackle rural poverty and social isolation in their area by developing a sustainable use for a disused historic building in their village.

The programme builds on a 3-year pilot, which resulted in 4 projects being developed, highlighted in a short film accessed via this link:
https://ahfund.org.uk/news/latest/4.2m-innovative-village-catalyst-programme-launched-at-caledon-woolstore/

To be eligible, the building must be listed or within a conservation area. The 3 available funding routes and details on how to apply are listed below:

1. Project Viability Grant – To carry out viability work, with support offered up to £10,000. Please complete the enquiry form via the following link: https://ahfund.org.uk/enquiry prior to making an application. This is a rolling scheme. For more information on what this grant can fund, see: https://ahfund.org.uk/grants/northern-ireland
2. Project Development Grant – To further develop your plans with support offered up to £20,000. For enquiries and applications for this scheme, please contact Villagecatalystsupport@communities-ni.gov.uk. Please note, this scheme will close once our available budget has been expended. Therefore, early application is recommended.
3. Delivery Grant – To deliver your project, with capital funding offered up to £200,000. For enquiries and applications for this scheme, please contact Villagecatalystsupport@communities-ni.gov.uk. Please note, this scheme will close once our available budget has been expended. Therefore, early application is recommended.

Rural Support

This registered charity organisation operates a helpline which provides a listening ear and signposting service for farmers and rural dwellers. Rural Support deals with a wide range of issues - from financial problems, inheritance issues / succession planning, disease outbreak, and the burden imposed by farm paperwork and related matters. Rural Support also focus on issues such as stress and emotional distress and physical and mental health related matters.

Telephone: 028 8676 0040,
Helpline number: 0800 138 1678
Rural Support website

Social Farming Support Service

This support service provided by Rural Support staff operates as a hub for Social Farming which provides disadvantaged groups of people in NI with an opportunity for inclusion, to increase their self-esteem and to improve their health and well-being. Social Farming is an innovative use of agriculture to promote therapy, rehabilitation, social inclusion, education and social services in rural areas. It also has wide-ranging and far-reaching benefits that are primarily experienced by the participant and the farmer, but which also positively impacts rural communities.

If you are interested in delivering Social Farming on your farm, please contact the Social Farming Support Service team using the following link:

Social Farming Support Service - Rural Support

Please note the current Social Farming Capital Grant Scheme 2025/2026 is now closed for applications.

The Regional Infrastructure Support Programme (RISP) [administered by the Department for Communities] ensures that the rural element of the Voluntary and Community sector has access to the support it needs in order to function effectively. As part of the consortia delivering RISP, both the Rural Community Network (RCN) and Northern Ireland Rural Women’s Network (NIRWN) receive funding towards the rural element of RISP.

The Farm Families Health Checks Programme (FFHCP) in partnership with the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Northern Health and Social Care Trust provides access to nurse led Health Checks specifically designed for farmers and other rural community dwellers that historically have been reluctant to attend their GP for a range of reasons. Farm Family Health Checks, which are delivered at Marts and Community events across NI, are undertaken by fully trained nursing staff.

Further details can be obtained by contacting Christina Faulkner at Christina.Faulkner@northerntrust.hscni.net