Forth Valley & Lomond
LEADER
Rural Communities Event
Stirling Council Chambers
12 July 2014
1. Introduction
2. Progress since March 2014 Community
Event
3. What will LEADER money be spent on?
(Local Development Strategy)
4. How will LEADER money be spent?
(Business Plan)
- Approaches to allocating funds
- LAG membership
- Co-operation projects
5. Next Steps
1. Introduction
What is LEADER?
• It’s a method of delivering rural development
• It’s called Community Led Local Development
• It’s about ‘animation’ of a ‘territory’ for an
agreed purpose
• It develops the rural economy
• It covers the economic, the community and the
environmental
• It’s 5% of the Scottish Rural Development
Programme
• So, EU+Scottish Government money
7 Features of LEADER
LEADER In Our Area?
• We have had 3 LEADER Programmes in
this area
• Boundaries have changed and coverage
has gradually increased
• Last programme closed end Dec 2013
• We fully allocated our £3.7 million
• To 131 very varied community projects
• They all met the objectives of our Local
Development Strategy
AOCB
New Programme
•
•
•
•
Will run from 2015 – 2020
Will have slightly different boundaries
Will ‘probably’ have a smaller core budget
Will have additional funds for Rural
Businesses
• Greater emphasis on Economic Benefit
• Will need to be ‘governed’ by a tighter
Rural Development Strategy and not
viewed as a community grants scheme
2. Progress since March
2014 Community Event
Local Development Strategy for 2015-2020
•
Our bid for European/Scottish Government money.
Draft submitted, general feedback received
•
Gives us focus for WHAT the money will be spent on
•
It includes:
•
Information about area
•
SWOT
•
Links with national and local strategies
•
Strategic objectives and expected impact of LEADER funds
•
Co-operation with other areas
-
Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park wide projects
-
Joint Projects with Kelvin + Falkirk
-
Joint projects with other parts of the EU?
* Additions to SWOT from March 2014
Community Event 2014
* Additions to Strategic Objectives from
March 2014 Community Event
(approved by Stakeholder Group)
3. WHAT will LEADER money
be spent on?
1. Strengthen our Rural Economy
2. Build More Sustainable
Communities
3. Build Community Resilience
4. Increase the Understanding of,
and Access to, our Natural and
Cultural Heritage Environment
5. Realise the Economic Potential of
our Strategic Landscape Assets
4. HOW will LEADER money
be spent?
Likely Budget?
Likely Funding Available
£738,095
Animation/Administration
Small Business Support
£1,299,047
Farm Business Diversification
Co-operation
£295,238
Co-operation Preparation
Funding for Local Projects
£295,238
£29,524
£295,238
Approaches to Funding
Allocations
• Spatial Targeting/Joining up of Projects
• Themed Grant Schemes (eg Sustainable
Tourism)
• LAG Commissioned Projects
– As they emerge?
– Decided in advance?
• Challenge Fund (ie open to everyone)
New LAG Membership
• A minimum of 51% of membership must
be community or non-agency
• Recruitment must be open and
transparent
• Recruitment should be based on skills
required and areas covered
• Numbers will need to be manageable (ie
able to fit in a meeting room!)
• Quorum on decisions needs to reflect 51%
rule
Skills/Experience Required?
Economic Development
Environmental Policy
Business Development, Planning
Environmental Action
Community Development
Renewable Energy
Community Group
Financial Management
Tourism Policy
Youth Issues
Tourism Business
Gender Issues
Social Enterprise
Other Funders
Food & Drink
Skills Development & training
Developing a LEADER project
Managing a Construction project
Other Business
European Policy
Community Ownership of Public Assets
Access Projects
Scottish Government funding
Recruitment of New LAG Members
•
•
•
•
•
Application Process
Recruitment Advertised
Geographic Spread
Skills Matrix
Application Process Open from mid
August
• Big time commitment (exp. meeting 4
times a year + subgroup meetings +
reading applications + scoring)
“Co-operation”
• Funds for Preparatory Costs & for Project
Delivery (1% and 10% minimum of total FVL
budget respectively)
• ‘inter-regional’ – mostly with neighbouring LAGs
e.g. National Park; Inner Forth
• ‘transnational’ – with UK and EU
• New process being discussed where applicant
submits claim to ONE body
• Ideas: ANY CURRENT IDEAS FOR COOPERATION PROJECTS IN SCOTLAND OR
EU?
Next steps…
• First draft of Business Plan to be
submitted 15 August 2014
• Final draft of both documents by 30
September 2014
• Area budget allocations December 2014
• LEADER Programme starts 1 January
2015
• First applications considered – March
2015??
• Stakeholder group overseeing process