Rural Design Centre Innovation Project (RDCIP)

A programme of support delivered to businesses, start ups and community organisations in rural areas to identify and address key challenges, build networks of collaboration and open up new opportunities.

“The project is about trying to making rural life better. And fundamentally it’s about helping people… but helping people through the medium of helping businesses do better.”

Over 200 businesses and community organisations were engaged in the design thinking process to develop ambitions for growth and innovation with key objectives to implement positive change and problem-solving initiatives within our rural communities. Running from October 2020 to June 2023, the project was delivered through direct business support, workshops and events as well catalysing research projects, providing grant funding and supporting job creation.

Our work with rural communities initiated several new opportunities beyond the programme across renewables, connectivity, community energy, agroforestry, tourism and rural transport. This demonstrates the high value of collaborative working with the Rural Design Centre and the socio-economic impact that the RDCIP programme added to the region’s rural communities.