Sustainable Development Fund

The Sustainable Development Fund (SDF) is a pot of money available to individuals, businesses, local authorities and community groups, to fund sustainable new business ideas and community projects which will benefit the special environment of Nidderdale AONB.

What an SDF grant can fund:

Grants are available for up to a maximum of 75% of the total project costs. Grants don't have to be for a project in its entirety, they can fund parts of a larger project such as, feasability studies, practical work, equipment, building works, publicity, marketing, staff costs, training, group or partnership development and initiatives that raise awareness about sustainability.

Types of projects we can fund:

The list is endless, but projects must demonstrate 'sustainability'. This means that we are looking to encourage projects that will benefit the environment, communities and the local economy at the same time.

We will be particularly interested in projects which include any of the following:

involve young people and promote social inclusion
promote urban/rural links
encourage links between people from different backgrounds, whether they be inside or outside the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
bring different organisations together to tackle rural problems in a spirit of partnership
test new ideas and promote best practice
develop models for sustainable management of the countryside that could be applied elsewhere in England
cannot be funded from elsewhere

We cannot fund projects which:

do not further or support the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty purposes
have already started
are the statutory responsibility of any agency, or are standard maintenance work.

Further Information:

For more information or to discuss your project ideas please contact the AONB office on 01423 712950. Alternatively please download a copy of the SDF Guidance Notes and Application Form.