RURAL micro-businesses and farms in the North East are in line to receive a share of more than £2.5m to help them prosper.

The cash, part of the Rural Development Programme for England, has been agreed by One North East and follows a successful £1m pilot scheme which has supported over 400 rural businesses in less than a year.

Business Link will manage the funding over the next two years with individual applicants required to secure at least 50% of the total project costs from private sources.

One North East’s rural board member Ian Brown said: “Small businesses are a huge part of the rural economy so it is important that we show our support by putting our money where our mouth is and making this funding available to those who can benefit from it.

“The funding will effectively seek mainstream support for rural businesses, helping them to realise aspirations of sustainability and growth. This package of funding is great news for rural farms and micro-businesses which may receive essential funding during difficult times, allowing them to grow and prosper and consequently have a knock-on effect on the region’s economy.”