Creative Rural Competitors

Founded in 1978, RCAC provides training, technical and financial resources and advocacy so rural communities can achieve their goals. Since 1978, our dedicated staff and active board, coupled with our key values: leadership, collaboration, commitment, quality and integrity, have helped effect positive change in rural communities across the West. RCAC’s work includes environmental infrastructure (water, wastewater and solid waste facilities); affordable housing development; economic and leadership development; and community development finance. These services are available to communities with populations of fewer than 50,000, other nonprofit groups, Tribal organizations, farmworkers, colonias and other specific populations. Headquartered in West Sacramento, California, RCAC’s employees serve rural communities in 13 western states and the Pacific islands. With an annual operating budget of more than $15 million and more than 100 employees working from 52 field offices, RCAC is an important resource to low-income rural communities throughout the West

Rural Solutions is a consultancy, planning and design practice specialising in rural land and property. Our mission is to work with forward thinking owners and managers of rural land and property to realise their ambitions through creative approaches to strategy, planning, design, management, development, and use of these assets. Operating nationally, we have a team of c.38 professionals including consultants, planners, property development professionals, architects, landscape architects, analysts, researchers, and graphic designers all working exclusively on rural strategy and development projects. Whether deciding how best to manage a land and property portfolio, creating a new business in the countryside, getting planning consent to convert or develop, designing a dream home or developing quality housing for rural communities - we can help to realise most rural development objectives. We have particular expertise in estate scale strategy and masterplanning, exceptional country homes (including Paragraph 80e), leisure and tourism, regenerative land management, commercial and consumer enterprises and quality housing developments. Our clients include estates, land owning institutions and businesses, private individuals, leisure operators, charities, property developers and agents. We specialise in projects in high value landscapes and heritage settings with expertise in heritage conservation and sustainable design. We work from initial ideas through to delivery of your project, offering services that cover strategy and concept development, feasibility and options appraisals, financial, operational, and business planning, and the full range of planning, architectural and landscape design, and project management services.

Plunkett Foundation is a national charity with a vision for resilient, thriving, and inclusive rural communities. To achieve this, we support people in rural areas to set up and run a wide range of businesses that are genuinely owned by local communities, whereby members have equal and democratic control. Through our support for community businesses, we have a specific mission to create innovative, impactful, and inclusive spaces. Plunkett represents over 750 community businesses throughout the UK. In practical terms, Plunkett raises awareness of the community business model UK-wide and provides business support and training to help these businesses start-up and go on to thrive. As a membership organisation, we also seek to represent the interests of rural community businesses.