Join our Webinar to find out more about the Ayrshire Rural and Islands Ambition (ARIA) Fund.

Is ARIA right for your business-

The Ayrshire Rural & Islands Ambition (ARIA) Fund supports small businesses and community organisations to deliver tangible economic and community benefit within rural Ayrshire. Operating under Scotland-s Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) approach, funding decisions are made locally by a knowledgeable Local Action Group (LAG), with a focus on projects that drive small business growth, support local jobs, and offer clear value for money and long-term impact, aligned with priorities such as net zero and environmental sustainability, tackling rural poverty and inequality, and supporting a just transition to a fairer local economy.

For 2026-27, ARIA funding is expected to be predominantly revenue-based. Business support is aimed at small businesses with 49 employees or fewer, prioritising micro-businesses.

Business applicants should expect to demonstrate: a clear and proportionate business plan; cashflow projections showing the ability to manage retrospective grant payments, and value for money, evidenced through appropriate benchmarks (for example, three quotes for capital items or comparable benchmarks for staffing costs).

ARIA funding is available only where businesses are based - and/or projects delivered within - the eligible rural area, which can be checked using the ARIA eligibility map at https://southayrshire.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/basic/index.html-appid=5771565689bf4f588dcfaea5ed8719bb

The ARIA webinar on Thursday 19 February, 10:00-11:00am is a short, practical session designed to help businesses quickly assess:

-whether their proposal is likely to be a good fit for ARIA,

-what the LAG typically looks for in business applications,

-Expression of Interest (EOI) and application processes.