The Rural England Prosperity Fund 2025 is now open. It means farmers in parts of Surrey can secure a six-figure cash injection as part of wider efforts to boost growth in the county.
Surrey County Council is offering capital grants of up to £120,000 to support innovative ideas to drive diversification in agriculture.
The aim is to help farmers in the districts of Tandridge, Guildford and Waverley to generate new income streams while increasing the long-term sustainability of their estates.
Ideas could include establishing farm shops, developing agritourism, generating sustainable energy or cultivating new crops and livestock.
A total of £360,000 is available as part of the government’s Rural England Prosperity Fund for 2025/6.
Applications can be made direct via the Business Surrey website, and close at the end of June 2025. .
It will be a competitive process. And the focus is on supporting a small number of large-scale, high-impact projects in eligible areas. Match funding is encouraged though not mandatory.
Grants will be awarded and distributed via the Surrey Economic Growth Fund.
Matt Furniss, Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth, said: “As committed custodians of much of Surrey’s fantastic countryside, farmers play a key role in everyone’s way of life, producing the food we eat, managing our unique landscapes and creating employment in our rural communities.
“This fund is intended to support a small number of farmers to diversify and explore new commercial opportunities, supporting them to generate more income while supporting broader prosperity in our rural communities.
“It forms part of our wider commitment to drive sustainable growth across Surrey while ensuring no one is left behind.”
What is the Rural England Prosperity Fund?
The Rural England Prosperity Fund 2025 is integrated into the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. It is government funding which supports productivity and prosperity in places that need it most.
In Surrey, this means the Rural England funding is only available in three of the 11 districts. These are Guildford, Tandridge and Waverley.
The Rural Fund is a rural top-up to UKSPF allocations. And it supports activities that specifically address the particular challenges rural areas face.
The Rural Fund sits alongside existing Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) schemes, including the:
- Farming in Protected Landscapes programme
- Farming Investment Fund
- Platinum Jubilee Village Hall Improvement Grant Fund
Support with your bid
The Surrey element of the Rural England Prosperity Fund is a great opportunity for farmers and landowners to progress plans to drive growth. If you have any questions then contact the Business Surrey team.
But we recognise that some rural business owners may not be eligible. Or they may need additional help, either via email, phone or face-to-face.
So you can get in touch with our business advisors at any point. You could receive thousands of pounds-worth of free bespoke support from our expert team.
You can also:
- access an easy-to-use support directory with more than 120 national and regional schemes.
- list of events across Surrey to support networking and shared learning
- register to receive our regular newsletter, packed with the latest news for all Surrey businesses.
