Rural businesses and community groups can soon apply for grants to improve infrastructure, services and key assets.
The funding of £838,120 was granted through the government’s Rural England Prosperity Fund.
The fund aims to address three key challenges that rural areas face, lower productivity rates, poorer connectivity and poorer access to key services.
The fund will be administered by the district council through a business grant programme.
The programme will open later this year and rural businesses can apply for the funding for projects which focuses on job security, increased productivity and modernisation.
Such projects could include buying equipment and lasting assets or the conversion of buildings.
Some of the grant will support tourism in Wealden, such as the development of the Wealden Visitor Trail.
Parish and town councils are also eligible to apply for the funding for projects which support conservation of outdoor spaces, improving the natural environment such as wildflower verges and active travel initiatives.
The fund is a new £110million, two year capital fund from DEFRA complementary to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund run by the Department of Levelling Up Housing and Communities.
It is a top up for eligible authorities which have already submitted an investment plan for UKSPF, to address the extra needs of rural areas.
