Village SOS will award funding to six rural village communities to help them start up new businesses that will breathe new life into their area, create new jobs and improve the quality of life for local people.

The scheme is also searching for enterprising and visionary individuals to become 'Village Champions' and work with the successful villages to help them achieve their ambitions of starting a successful rural business.

The journey of the six successful villages and their Village Champions will be documented by BBC One for a major series in winter 2010.

Village SOS aims to help revive village communities, many of which are seeing rural life eroded by economic hardship and the closure of local amenities.

Both rural village communities and business experts interested in becoming Village Champions can apply to the scheme.

Villages need to have less than three thousand people, lots of enthusiasm and a great business idea - from retailing to manufacturing, the arts to leisure.

Village Champions, who are being recruited through a nationwide search run by the BBC and Make Your Mark, part of the charity Enterprise Insight, could be anyone with a successful track record in business.

In November, 18 villages will be shortlisted and offered a development grant of up to £10,000.

They will also choose a Village Champion to work with to advance their ideas.

In May 2010 six projects will be awarded Lottery funding of up to £400,000 and their respective Village Champions will move into the villages for a year to help them turn their idea into a reality.

The BBC One series will follow the stories of the six new rural enterprises from start up to trading.

Both the BIG grant application process and the BBC search for Village Champions close on August 14, and information on how to apply can be found at bbc.co.uk/villagesos