Just Growth is a new funding programme designed to encourage the growth of community based food and farming projects.
The aim of the programme is to support social enterprises that are producing food in a environmentally and socially just way – hence Just Growth.
FEA Network (Funding Enlightened Agriculture) is working in partnership with Community and Co-operative Finance (CCF) and the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation to deliver this project.
Just Growth are looking for projects that farm in a way that nurtures and protects the environment, helps people take control of their food and enables more people to eat better food. With the aim of encouraging community ownership Just Growth are seeking organisations owned and run by their community or “that have strong co-operative principles embedded in their structure”.
The type of eligible projects:
- A start up community based farming project with a strong plan
- An existing community farming project that is looking to expand
- An existing community farming project that wants to develop a new aspect to its business
- Other food/farming projects that can show that their work is strengthening the community farming sector
The programme will be looking for upto 14 projects to fund and support over an 18 month period to December 2016. The projects must be based in England, Scotland or Wales.
What support will be available?
Upto 8 projects will receive a funding package made up of one third loan financing from CCF and one third grant funding from Esmee Fairbairn. The remaining third of the funding has to be raised by the project itself from its local community either through crowdfunding or community shares. The release of the loan and the grant is contingent on the projects raising the necessary community finance.
Find out more by visiting the FEA Network website here: http://www.feanetwork.org/our-projects/just-growth
*** The deadline to make your application is 5pm on 30th September 2015 ***
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