Grants available for Chichester community organisations and businesses

There’s a boost for businesses and community organisations in the Chichester district.

The council say they have secured over 215 thousand pounds in grant funding to award those who deliver projects that will support the local economy and community infrastructure.

“We are really pleased to be able to offer further funding from the Rural England Prosperity Fund, and I would really urge community organisations and businesses to find out more about this opportunity,” says Councillor John Cross, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Place at Chichester District Council.

“The REPF is a UK Government scheme, and so the government has set out specific criteria that we, as a council, must follow when assessing and awarding funding. To help with this process, our funding advisors will support businesses and community organisations when considering and developing an application, to make sure their project meets all of the scheme requirements.

“Because the REPF fund is designed to address challenges faced by rural areas, one of the requirements is that projects must benefit our rural communities and so there are certain parts of the district that aren’t eligible — Chichester City, Southbourne and Westbourne. Through the additional funds that we have secured from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), we are continuing to support and deliver projects across the whole of the district. This includes supporting events that encourage footfall and boost the local economy; delivering public realm improvements; and allocating sustainability grant funding to help businesses reduce their carbon footprint — for example through the installation of renewable energy technology, such as solar panels.

“Over the past few years, we’ve used funding from both the UKSPF and REPF grant schemes to help deliver more than 80 different projects, which have supported economic growth and improved quality of life across the Chichester District. These varied and exciting projects have made a huge difference to our businesses and community groups, helping them to expand their customer offer and allowing them more flexibility. Some of the businesses have also been able to keep jobs in our district and increase staff posts, supporting our local economy and ensuring that our communities continue to thrive.

“The new allocation of REPF is another exciting opportunity for our local communities and we’re really looking forward to helping make many of these projects a reality.”

Applications for the REPF grant scheme are now open until midnight on Monday 9 June 2025. For more information about the fund — including the eligibility criteria and scheme requirements set out by the government — and to make contact with one of the council’s funding advisors to discuss a potential application, go to: www.chichester.gov.uk/rural-england-prosperity-fund.