Defra Opens Applications For £20m Rural Broadband Fund

Starting on Thursday rural communities have the opportunity to request grants under a £20m funding project designed to bring high-speed broadband into hard-to-reach areas of the UK.

Applicants have until 6 July to submit expressions of interest to the Rural Community Broadband Fund (RCBF), part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) and jointly funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK).

Second round

The current window is the second round for expressions of interest under the RCBF. Applicants whose expressions of interest are approved will be invited to submit detailed full applications, according to Defra. Defra has made available a handbook (PDF) to guide applicants through the submission process.

The RCBF funds were earmarked in early 2011 as part of the wider £530m Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) programme, which has other funding pots intended for “super-connected cities” including London and Edinburgh as well as cities that want to roll out superfast broadband but would have trouble attracting the interest of commercial providers.

The rural programme is aimed at the 10 percent hardest-to-reach areas of the UK, according to Defra, which said funding can be applied for by groups including social and community enterprises, community interest companies, community trusts, charities and private businesses. Local authorities, including parish and district councils, may also apply on behalf of communities or act as the managing authority for an application.

The funds should open up new opportunities for rural areas, according to communications minister Ed Vaizey. “The fund will back those communities working to help themselves by bringing broadband to their homes and helping businesses develop and grow,” Vaizey said.

50 percent of costs paid

The RCBF provides up to 50 percent of total eligible costs to organisations that can demonstrate a local need and demand for high-speed broadband, Defra said. Eligible costs include spending to establish capital infrastructure and services, but not ongoing maintenance.

Further guidelines on applications are available from Defra’s RCBF website.

The government recently announced the shortlist for 27 cities eligible to apply for a share of £50m in funding for high-speed broadband.

Broadband plans

In March the government pledged £100m to 10 “super-connected cities”, including London, Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh, with the aim of delivering broadband speeds of 80 to 100Mbps to three million people.

The government has pledged to make the UK the best place for superfast broadband in Europe by 2015, although this will rely heavily on the private sector. BT has promised to match any of that money which the government decides to put its way.

BT is in the process of investing £2.5 billion in rolling out fibre to around two thirds of UK homes by 2015.

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