Rural Economy Spotlight - June 2025

A quarterly bulletin facilitated by your membership of the Rural Services Network highlighting a selection of current rural economic development news, issues and opportunities

New platform supports UK producers of protected food and drink names

NICRE (the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise) wrote:

“UK producers of protected foods and drink names – from the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, to Pembrokeshire Rock Oysters and Scotch Whisky – are invited to sign up to a new online platform, launching in June 2025.”

The GI SMART Community platform has been created as part of a Horizon Europe-funded project, GI SMART.  Open to all UK producers and trade groups, consumer organisations, control bodies, policy-makers, researchers and other interested stakeholders, the national platform also connects with an EU one, managed by the Association of European Regions for Products of Origin (AREPO). 

The platform will offer:

• Access to an exclusive network of experts and peers
• Cutting-edge research on GI sustainability and consumer behaviour
• Tailored tools, resources and best practice examples to support sustainable GI practices
• Opportunities to collaborate and help shape policies at national/ EU level

Barbara Tocco, Principal Research Associate at NICRE at Newcastle University, who manages the UK platform said: “This project presents us with a great opportunity to explore the real potential of UK GI schemes post-Brexit and the pivotal role they can play for businesses and society at large - including their contribution to sustainable development.”

The national community platform launches online on 11th June 2025 at 2pm in the UK. You can find out more, including information about how to sign up, at the following link: New platform supports UK producers of protected food and drink names - NICRE

The impact of Community Businesses – Plunkett UK publish 2025 report

Did you know community businesses have, on average, a five-year survival rate of 99%. This is radically higher than the 39% survival rate of private small and medium enterprises over the same period.

As the only organisation dedicated to supporting rural community-owned businesses across the UK, Plunkett’s Impact Report 2025 showcases the widespread, life-changing impact that Plunkett makes to the sector, and how the organisation influences community businesses to have local impact through five measurable themes:

• Safeguarding access to a wide range of goods and services
• Boosting the local economy
• Creating opportunities for employment, training and volunteering
• Tackling climate change
• Promoting equity, diversity and inclusion by creating safe and welcoming spaces for all

You can read the 2025 report at the following link: Be Inspired By Plunkett UK’s Impact Report 2025 - Rural Services Network

RSN 2025 seminar programme – booking open

The 2025 RSN online seminar programme continues to prove very popular. SThere are three remaining sessions running during the rest of the year on the following topics:

• Rural housing – 9 July

• Rural planning – 5 November

• Rural health & care – 26 November

To book a place on any of the seminars follow this link.

New business grant schemes launching in West Oxfordshire

West Oxfordshire District Council and Cotswold Tourism will soon be launching three new grant schemes to support businesses in West Oxfordshire:

• Shop Front Improvement Grants – Up to £1,000 for external enhancements such as signage, seating, and accessibility improvements.
• Sustainable Tourism Grants – Capital funding from £1,000 to £10,000 for eco-friendly improvements.
• Rural Enterprise Growth Grants – Up to £20,000 to help rural and agricultural businesses diversify, grow, and innovate.

Full details will be released soon. Sign up to their newsletter to be the first to hear when applications open: https://www.westoxon.gov.uk/support/newsletter-signup/

Rural Employers Call for Action on Affordable Housing Crisis

A new report commissioned by a local charity reveals the growing pressure rural employers face due to a shortage of affordable and suitable housing for workers across the county of Northumberland.  Nearly one in two businesses in rural Northumberland cited affordable local housing for staff as a key barrier for their businesses.

The report, Rural Business Perspectives on Northumberland’s Housing Needs, was commissioned by Community Action Northumberland as part of the DEFRA-funded Rural Housing Enabler programme and delivered in partnership with the National Innovation Centre for Rural Enterprise (NICRE). It shines a light on the challenges rural businesses are facing in recruiting and retaining staff, with housing availability emerging as a key barrier.

Findings show that 60% of rural firms in Northumberland rated affordable housing availability as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’. Many businesses are being forced to find workarounds – from subsidising rents to building temporary accommodation – just to secure the workforce they need.

It calls for more holistic, locally led approaches – including joint surveys with businesses and communities, greater use of local knowledge from estates and landowners, and support for community-led housing initiatives.

One promising model is already underway in the coastal community of Seahouses, where The Inn Collection Group has introduced subsidised staff housing near its coastal pub, The Bamburgh Castle Inn. Other businesses, like MSP Ltd in Alnwick, are exploring local partnerships to support long-term housing solutions and skills hubs.

Natalie Partridge, report co-author from NICRE, Newcastle University, said:

Rural enterprises and employers have valuable insights into the needs of their staff and local communities, and a wealth of ideas for the future of rural housing. A more holistic approach to understanding and addressing housing needs could unlock economic growth and help rural communities thrive.  Our ongoing research will continue to identify innovative practice and find new ways for rural businesses to contribute to shaping cross-sector solutions.

The report’s recommendations also include piloting a Northumberland business-led housing needs survey, greater data-sharing around social housing allocations, and collaborative efforts to boost housing provision on private and estate-owned land.

You can read more at the following link: New report highlights rural business perspectives on Northumberland’s housing needs - NICRE

Rural England statistical digest available

The Statistical Digest of Rural England is a collection of statistics on a range of social and economic topics and provides broad comparisons between Rural and Urban areas by settlement type.

Prepared by DEFRA, the Digest is structured into thematic reports and incorporates the previously separate publication the Rural Economic Bulletin.

The Digest consists of the following thematic reports:

• Population
• Housing
• Health and Wellbeing
• Communities and Households
• Connectivity and Accessibility
• Education, Qualifications and Training
• Rural Economic Bulletin
• Energy

You can access all the contents at the following link: About the Digest and Rural Definitions - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The most recent rural economic statistics can be found at this link.

Great British Energy Community Fund open for business

Funding of up to £140,000 is available to help parish and town councils, community organisations, faith groups, community interest companies and even sports teams get started on clean power projects that benefit their local areas.

The Great British Energy Community Fund is the first grant programme for community energy projects funded by Great British Energy – the new publicly-owned energy company

It’s designed to help local communities across the UK transition to sustainable energy solutions and empower communities to take control of their energy needs, reduce carbon footprints, and create a greener, more sustainable future for all.

Grants up to £100,000 are available to cover consultancy and professional costs for the development of a feasibility study.  

The Great British Energy Community Fund is a £5million programme being delivered by the five Net Zero Hubs in England on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Great British Energy.

You can find out more from your Net Zero Hub.

Farm equipment fund now open for applications

Farmers are now able to apply for grants worth up to £25,000 each to invest in machinery that boosts farm productivity.

Applications for the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) opened on 29 May and will close at midday on 10 July.

Grants are available for boosting productivity, managing slurry or improving animal health and welfare.

From seed-planting robots that reduce labour costs, to slurry separator systems that bring down reliance on expensive fertilisers, this new round of the popular FETF will make £46.7m available to boost profitability by helping farmers cut costs while increasing efficiency.

More information is available at: Find out how to apply for FETF on the Defra Farming Blog. 

Pathways to work consultation closes soon

A current national consultation is seeking views on the approaches government should consider around reform of the health and disability benefits system and employment support.

Government state: “This consultation sets out plans and proposals to reform health and disability benefits and employment support. This Green Paper is an important staging post on a journey of reform, building on the vision and approach set out in the Get Britain Working White Paper in November 2024. It sets out our vision, strategy and proposals for change.”

There is still a chance to respond to the consultation which closes on 30 June 2025.

For more information see: Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper - GOV.UK

Local Net Zero Hubs support available to councils and communities

The Local Net Zero Hubs programme helps local authorities and communities in England to play a leading role in decarbonisation, supporting local authorities to develop net zero projects and attract commercial investment.

Find out more about the Local Net Zero Hub in your area follow the relevant link below:

• North East and Yorkshire Local Net Zero Hub
• North West Local Net Zero Hub
• Midlands Local Net Zero Hub
• South West Local Net Zero Hub
• South East Local Net Zero Hub

Further information on the support available can be found at this link.

National Rural Conference 2025 – hold the date

The Rural Services Network popular annual Rural Conference will take place online from 15 to 18 September 2025.

Covering a range of topics, the conference has something for everyone interested in rural issues and solutions.

Keep an eye on RSN bulletins and the website for booking information in due course.

 Local business organisations – keep calm and sign up!

RSN exists to enable the issues facing the rural areas of England to be identified, information and good practice to be shared and government to be challenged to address the needs and build on the opportunities which abound in rural areas. We have a number of Chambers of Trade, Commerce and Local Business Networks who are members of RSN and currently receive our bulletins.  If there is a business organisation in your area who you think would find our bulletins useful, please pass this bulletin onto them and ask them to contact Andy Dean with their contact details so we can ensure they are included in future distributions.

The Rural Services Network is an organisation comprising over 150 local authorities and 100 other public service providers seeking to establish links across public service, identifying and broadcasting best practice, and making representations on rural service issues. For details, please go to our website www.rsnonline.org.uk

Future editions of the Rural Economy Spotlight

The next edition of this bulletin will be distributed in September 2025.  If you have any suggestions as to future content or would like to submit a short article for inclusion, please contact Andy Dean.