Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council has announced that applications are open from Monday 29th June 2026 for the Rural Business Development Grant Scheme, offering grants of up to £7,500 to eligible rural micro businesses.
The scheme is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) through its Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Programme and is being delivered locally in partnership with Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council and Belfast City Council.
Grants of between £500 and £7,500, covering up to 50% of project costs, are available to support rural businesses to recover, become more sustainable, and grow. Funding can be used towards a range of capital items including equipment, machinery, digital tools and e-commerce development.
The scheme is open to micro businesses with fewer than 10 employees located in eligible rural areas. Businesses within the urban limits of Lisburn, Belfast, Dundonald and Carryduff are not eligible.
Chair of the Council’s Regeneration and Growth Committee, Alderman James Baird, encouraged local businesses to apply: “This funding provides an important opportunity for rural micro businesses to invest in their future, strengthen their resilience and explore new opportunities for growth. We are pleased to work in partnership with DAERA and Belfast City Council to deliver this support locally and would encourage eligible businesses to take advantage of this scheme.”
A series of mandatory pre-application workshops will be held online to help applicants understand the programme and application process. Applicants must attend one workshop before submitting an application.
Workshops will take place via Microsoft Teams on the following dates:
- Friday 3 July 2026 | 10am–11am
- Monday 6 July 2026 | 2.30pm–3.30pm
- Friday 10 July 2026 | 10am–11am
- Thursday 16 July 2026 | 2.30pm–3.30pm
- Wednesday 22 July 2026 | 10am–11am
- Tuesday 28 July 2026 | 10am–11am
To register for a workshop, please email grant.programmes@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk. A Microsoft Teams link will be provided upon registration.
Early registration is recommended as places may be limited.
The closing date for applications is Thursday 30th July 2026 at 12 noon.
Further details regarding eligibility and how to apply online are available in the guidance notes, which can be accessed here.
You can also contact our programmes team by email: lmp@lisburncastlereagh.gov.uk or phone 028 9244 7391.