To assist rural businesses achieve competitive advantage through implementing effective management and marketing systems based on new knowledge and ICT.

Sub Measure COL 4.1 Rural Business Marketing Programme
This measure has been developed to look at the potential advantages of collective actions through the development of portal websites for example. This aims to build upon the use of e-commerce, trading capacity and potential economies of scale which can be achieved through collaborative actions, particularly by businesses in the rural areas.

What will it fund?
Supporting market initiatives, which take competitive advantage from a collaborative approach. A range of possible actions could include attending trade fairs, marketing materials, joint / multiple tendering.

Possible Actions

	Undertaking brokerage and business networking
	Financing resulting collaborative marketing efforts

Application Process
To be undertaken by COLLAGE Ltd.

Sub Measure COL 4.2 The Effective ICT Programme
This measure has been designed to assist rural businesses to realise the potential advantages of the use of ICT.

The measure will promote the effectiveness and efficiency possibilities for small businesses and has been developed from the baseline analysis where large gaps have been identified in the take up and use of ICT in rural businesses.

What will it fund?
This measure will assist with the use of ICT in rural businesses, developing their capacity to take advantage of up to the minute ICT business management, marketing resources, knowledge. This will use a very pro-active focused, target and mentor approach to combat current barriers to better ICT use.

Possible Actions

	Business web and ICT Audits
	Finance for innovative ICT marketing actions.
	Support for portal and collaborative ICT marketing development

Sub Measure COL 4.3 Innovative Market Entry Programme
This measure has been designed to facilitate innovative approaches to marketing activities. This includes the potential of e-commerce as a tool for trading opportunities and reduces the cost barriers associated with the realisation of innovative approaches.

What will it fund?
Grant assistance for businesses that identify new ways to achieve market advantage or wish to pilot potential new marketing methodologies.

Possible Actions

Providing grant assistance to rural micro businesses who identify new marketing techniques

Level of Assistance
Assistance will be offered at a rate of 50% of eligible costs up to a maximum of £2,500 per business.

Application Process
Part A of the application form must be completed ‘online’. This can be done by accessing the following website, www.eugrants.org. Once completed online, and submitted, this Part will automatically be forwarded to COLLAGE Ltd.

Part B of the application form can be downloaded from the above website (www.eugrants.org) or COLLAGE Ltd’s own website www.collage-ltd.com and either complete by hand or word-processed and a signed copy submitted to COLLAGE Ltd.

Please Note
A full application will only be acknowledged on receipt of both parts (Part A and Part B) of the application.

Supporting market initiatives, which take competitive advantage from a collaborative approach. Attending trade fairs, marketing materials, joint / multiple tendering.