Reaching Rural Businesses with Barnsley Council’s Grants Programme
Barnsley Council engaged Fossu Ltd to support the promotion of their Rural Grants Programme, offering grants of up to £12,000 to rural businesses in the outermost areas of Barnsley. Recognizing the challenges in reaching these traditionally hard-to-engage audiences, Fossu Ltd developed and executed a targeted communications campaign designed to connect with the right businesses effectively and efficiently.
Objectives
Barnsley Council’s key objectives were:
Raising awareness of the Rural Grants Programme among businesses in Barnsley’s most remote areas.
Generating high-quality enquiries that matched the programme’s criteria for location, grant use, and business type.
Meeting grant distribution targets while supporting businesses in need of capital for equipment and infrastructure improvements.
Approach
Fossu Ltd adopted a digital-first approach to ensure the campaign was both impactful and measurable:
Landing Page Creation: Designed a user-friendly landing page with detailed programme information and a short, streamlined sign-up form to register interest.
Micro-Targeted Digital Advertising:
Focused on 1–2km radiuses of Barnsley’s most rural postcodes.
Used tailored ad copy and imagery to resonate with rural business owners.
Data Capture and Handover: Captured key details from sign-ups, which were passed to the Barnsley Council team for vetting and follow-up support.
Key Achievements
1. Significant Engagement with Target Audiences
Generated over 60 enquiries, with more than 90% meeting the programme’s criteria for location, grant use, and business type.
Successfully reached and engaged traditionally hard-to-reach rural businesses, including farmers, homesteads, and rural educational enterprises.
2. Achieving Grant Distribution Goals
Helped Barnsley Council meet their grant distribution targets, ensuring vital funding reached businesses that needed it the most.
3. Raising Awareness of Rural Opportunities
Increased awareness of the Rural Grants Programme across Barnsley’s remote communities, creating a stronger foundation for future outreach efforts.
Long-Term Impact
Fossu Ltd’s work not only supported the immediate goals of the Rural Grants Programme but also demonstrated the effectiveness of micro-targeted digital campaigns in connecting councils with hard-to-reach communities. This approach has set a precedent for how local authorities can engage rural businesses with vital support and funding opportunities.
Conclusion
Fossu Ltd is proud to have partnered with Barnsley Council to deliver an impactful communications campaign that empowered rural businesses to access the funding they needed. By combining data-driven strategies with community-focused messaging, we bridged the gap between local government support and the businesses that depend on it.
Reaching the unreachable, delivering results, and driving local impact.
Contact Fossu Ltd to learn how we can help your organisation connect with hard-to-reach audiences and achieve your programme goals.