Minister Muir hails £7.91m boost for rural communities and businesses across Northern Ireland

Minister Andrew Muir pictured with Newry Mourne and Down Council Chair Cllr Philip Campbell, Shane O’Reilly, Manager of Ballyward Equestrian Estate and Ceto a six-year-old mare bred at Ballyward.

DAERA Minister Andrew Muir has welcomed a £7.91 million investment supporting more than 2,350 rural community organisations and businesses across Northern Ireland over the past year, describing it as a significant step towards building stronger, more sustainable rural communities.

The funding has been delivered through the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs’ (DAERA) Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme and Rural Business Development Grant Scheme, both operating under the Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Programme for 2025/26.

The Minister was speaking during a visit to Moneyslane Rural Community Organisation, which received £1,491 through the Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme to modernise its Community Hub — a modest but impactful investment aimed at improving facilities for local residents.

“I am delighted that 1,048 Letters of Offer for funding of £1.74million have been issued to voluntary and community organisations throughout Northern Ireland from the Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme,” Minister Muir said.

He emphasised the wider social purpose of the programme, adding:

“The Scheme is a key initiative delivered through my Department’s Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Framework. It supports rural community-led, voluntary organisations in identifying and implementing projects that address locally identified poverty, isolation, loneliness and health and wellbeing issues.”

Minister Andrew Muir (centre) pictured with (L to R) Tiarna Coughran (Committee Member) Diane Ewart (Network manager TADA) Joanne Hanna (Committee Member) and Gareth Bingham (Secretary Moneyslane Community Hub).

During his visit, Minister Muir heard first-hand how Moneyslane Rural Community Organisation has drawn on the scheme over many years to improve services and facilities for its rural population.

“I was delighted to hear how Moneyslane Rural Community organisation have availed of the Department’s Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme over many years to enhance their facilities for the local rural community,” he said.

“I express my sincere gratitude to the committee and to all voluntary and community organisations across Northern Ireland for their ongoing work in maintaining and developing a wide range of opportunities and facilities for people in local rural communities.”

The Minister also visited BWE Equestrian Ltd in Ballyward, a rural micro-business and first-time applicant to the Rural Business Development Grant Scheme.

During the visit, he presented the business with a Letter of Offer worth £5,850 to support the purchase of a ‘Shockwave’ linear soil decompaction machine, aimed at improving efficiency and long-term sustainability.

“I want to take this opportunity to highlight the significant investment of £6.17million, also from my Department’s Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation Framework, to 1,310 rural businesses through the Rural Business Development Grant Scheme,” Minister Muir said.

Reflecting on the visit, he added:

“It’s been great to meet the staff of BWE Equestrian Limited, a first-time applicant to the Scheme, and to hear how the grant will help their business’s sustainability and increase their potential for growth. This is exactly the type of support the scheme aims deliver across Northern Ireland.”

Concluding, the Minister reaffirmed the strategic importance of both funding streams:

“Both the Rural Micro Capital Grant Scheme and the Rural Business Development Grant Scheme are important contributors to my commitment to build strong, sustainable and diverse rural communities where people want to live, work and invest.”

Under the 2025/26 TRPSI Programme, Micro Capital grants of between £500 and £2,000 were made available to rural voluntary and community organisations to address locally identified poverty and social isolation needs.

Meanwhile, the Rural Business Development Grant Scheme provided capital grants covering up to 50 per cent of eligible costs, with awards of up to £7,500, supporting rural enterprises to invest, innovate, expand services, enter new markets and, in many cases, create employment opportunities.