The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) has announced that rural businesses, farms and community ventures based in Greater Manchester and Cheshire can apply for £3.7 million in grants.

Eligible bodies can submit an Expression of Interest to the NWDA for projects that will boost the rural economy.

The NWDA is releasing the funding from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), a programme running from 2007-2013 which aims to transform the rural economy and is jointly funded by DEFRA and the European Union, and managed by the NWDA.

David Hunter, head of rural development at the NWDA, said: “RDPE in the Northwest is a significant investment which is working to build a sustainable future for our rural areas. In order for significant change to take place, we need to support projects which will complement our goals to improve productivity, increase diversification and lead to long-term positive change.

“This grant money can make a huge difference and I would urge eligible rurally based businesses, farmers and social organisations to take advantage of the opportunities this new grant money can provide, particularly during this tough economic climate.”

Grants are available for projects under four key aims - new ways to add value to farm and forestry products; co-operating on the research and development of new products and processes; helping farms to diversify into non-agricultural activities; and creating and developing small rural businesses.

The range of grant available will be from £5,000 to £100,000 for Cheshire. The maximum grant for Greater Manchester is £20,000.