The Rural Community Energy Fund is a £10 million programme that supports rural communities in England to develop renewable energy projects with community benefit. It is being delivered by the five Energy Hubs in the North East, North West, Midlands, South West and South East of England on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

The aims of the Fund are to

• Support rural communities by helping them to maximise the income-generating potential of renewable energy and put this income to work in their local area
• Increase the uptake of community and locally-owned renewable energy to support the Government’s targets for renewable energy and carbon reduction
• Enable communities to access the economic and social benefits associated with renewable energy schemes through the promotion of rural growth, job creation and volunteering opportunities.