Rural Economic Development Zones (REDZ)
Pilot Initiative Outline
Budget
1.
€2 million euro
Overview/Context
The Commission for the Economic Development of Rural Areas (CEDRA) identified
the need to take a more tailored approach to planning at both a regional and local
level and recognised that this approach should not be restricted by current
administrative boundaries. The Commission believes this will require not only new
systematic approaches but also a new cultural approach to planning that is focussed
on participation and flexibility while centred on evidence of where the potential for
economic development is situated.
Work has begun in the context of local government reform to implement a more
integrated, “joined up” approach to planning at a local level particularly with the
introduction of the Local Economic and Community Planning processes at county
level.
However the Commission found it was not enough to simply enhance co-ordination
from national, through regional to local authority levels. They identified the need for
economic development strategies to be tailored to the needs and current or potential
capacities of communities on the basis that it is at this geographic scale that all
economic development strategies are implemented.
2.
Rural Economic Development Zones (REDZ)
The evidence presented in the CEDRA report demonstrates that in general, there is
a clear beneficial relationship between towns and the surrounding rural areas, i.e.
the rural hinterland, and similarly between towns and larger towns and cities in close
proximity. These hinterlands are local, i.e. with few exceptions they are smaller than
counties, and they reflect Ireland’s actual economic geography in that they are the
spaces from which most employers in an area source labour. As such these
functional areas represent an appropriate scale of intervention when attempting to
foster rural economic development. They encompass most of the resources
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available to enterprises and communities that an area has available to support
economic development; most people live and work within these areas and employers
source most of their employees from these zones. REDZ are functional rather than
administrative geographic areas that reflect the spatial patterns of local economic
activities and development processes, i.e. they are the sub-county zones within
which most people live and work. Research surrounding this element of the CEDRA
report identified potential Economic Development Zones in all areas of Ireland and
recommended the implementation of a pilot initiative that supports the formulation of
a localised strategic approach to the development of REDZ. The recommendation
envisages full engagement with and participation by communities at a local level in
order to foster a sense of ownership of the REDZ development process.
Aim of the Pilot REDZs Initiative
The aim of this pilot initiative is to support 18 REDZ projects throughout Ireland with
a view to determining best practice with regard to how such projects should be
initiated, designed, implemented and evaluated. It is envisaged that using the
potential funding available through the REDZ initiative, individual Local Authorities
and those cooperating with each other across administrative boundaries will be able
to assign other funding from their own resources or work with private stakeholders
on the ground to provide the matched funding required to implement the project. This
pilot initiative will not provide 100% financial support for proposed projects and in this
context the criteria for the scheme will require applicants to outline how they propose
to access matched funding in order to implement the pilot in specific REDZ areas.
This will not only foster a local sense of ownership of the project but also ensure that
local authorities and other interested stakeholders work together to develop and
implement their project proposals.
With an allocation of €2 million euro it will be possible to fund a number of pilots on a
regional basis and at different geographic scales. The scheme will be open to all
local authorities in cooperation with the relevant community or communities with a
REDZ.
3.
Funding Allocations
-
3 flagships - 1 in each region to a max grant of €250k each.
-
5 for medium REDZs – 1 in each region and the final 2 based on quality to a
max grant of €150k each.
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-
10 for small REDZ - 2 in each region and the final 4 based on quality to a max
grant of €50k each.
In the context of what is outlined above up to 18 projects could be supported
depending on the quality of the submissions.
Flagships REDZ:
REDZ for which a town with a population of 10,000+ is
the main economic driver for the area.
Medium REDZ:
REDZ for which a town with a population of between
5,000 and 10,000 is the main economic driver for the
area.
Small REDZ:
REDZ for which a town with a population of less than
5,000 is the main economic driver for the area.
4.
Overall Measure Objective
To support projects that foster the concept of Rural Economic Development Zones
(REDZ) and determine what kind of interventions could be rolled out in a broader
context to support the economic development of towns, villages and their rural
hinterlands.
5.
Responsible Department
The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government
6.
Priority Activities
•
Projects that can enhance employment or be shown to enhance employment
potential on scale up from pilot initiative.
•
Projects that can display realistic and achievable targets and proposed
outputs and outcomes. Projects that show a coordinated effort from all
members of the community in line with the aims of Putting People First.
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•
Projects that display learning opportunities to facilitate scale up and increased
activity within the context of the REDZ area identified.
•
Projects that are integrative in their approach to identifying potential synergies
between different economic opportunities and meeting the social and
economic needs of the community.
7.
Indicative Eligible Actions or Activities
This initiative will support the development or implementation of local
economic strategies for REDZ areas with specific projects or initiatives that
can be put in place in the short to medium term.
These strategies should consider how local resources, broadly defined, can
be used to support local economic development and meet community needs.
Resources may include natural, human or built capital e.g. derelict buildings
or industrial facilities could be considered a resource.
It should be noted that any activity funded through this initiative will have to be
compatible with national rules in areas such as public procurement.
8.
Impact Measures
Outputs:
-
Number of Enterprises supported
-
Number of training/capacity building days supported
-
Number of people trained
-
Number of town/village physical improvements supported
Outcomes:
-
Number of new jobs created as a result of funding
-
Number of existing jobs secured/sustained as a result of funding
-
Number of services which have improved/enhanced services to the
community or target group as a result of funding.
-
Increased levels of cooperation as a result of supported initiative.
-
The ways in which services have been improved/enhanced as a result of
funding
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9.
Duration of the Grants awarded
Any award of a grant is subject to entering into a contract with DECLG. Successful
applicants will be required to enter into a contract by 30th September 2015 at the
latest. Maximum Time-frame for a contract will be 12 months. All expenditure related
to the grant must be spent by 31 December 2015.
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10.
Overall considerations
CEDRA Recommendations
Applications should consider the findings of the CEDRA research in the context of
supporting sustainable development in rural areas. Both the main report and the
CEDRA research report can be found at www.ruralireland.ie
Need
Applicants must clearly identify and evidence the need for the project or proposal
Additionality
Grants awarded will be for the purposes that are additional to and not a substitute for
mainstream government spending.
Priority will be given to projects which
demonstrate that project would not be undertaken but for the funding.
Government Policy
The project or proposal must take account of government policies and priorities in
the area of economic development, local and community development and social
and economic disadvantage.
Impact
Applicants must demonstrate the difference their proposal or project will make to the
community in a REDZ area and the impact/potential impact on the development and
quality of life in the area.
Sustainability
Projects must be broadly sustainable and demonstrate local support. This is
particularly important in the context of REDZ as a core concept for a REDZ area is
the involvement of the local community.
Additional Funding
Projects that will attract funding from other sources will be particularly welcome. This
funding can be in the form of additional funding or benefit in kind. Benefit in kind may
take the form of e.g. Voluntary Labour or facility/land leasing.
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11.
Pilot Requirements

All applicants must clearly demonstrate that the funding requested is adding
value at a local level and is not replacing funding from other sources.

All applicants must provide evidence of Match Funding or benefit in kind to be
leveraged to support the implementation of the initiative.

For Building Costs where planning permission is required, evidence of planning
permission or planning permission applied for and ownership/agreement with the
owner for the changes must be submitted with the application to be considered
eligible for funding;

Where a Lease agreement is in place, the lease must be for 5 years or more
following project end date and must be accompanied by a letter from landlord
agreeing to building works with the application

All applicants must provide a written commitment that the expenditure will be
undertaken and completed by the contract end date
12.
Eligible Applicants
 Proposals will be accepted from individual Local Authorities (or multiple Local
Authorities in the case of a REDZ that cross current administrative boundaries) in
cooperation with relevant stakeholders in the REDZ areas.
REDZ Selection Details
13.
Outline Selection Criteria
a)
REDZ applications should identify and specify the needs and opportunities
within a REDZ, identify those supports that both enterprise and labour require,
and provide evidence to support their plan.
b)
Each proposal should also outline the additional funding to be allocated to the
project from other public and/or private sources.
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c)
Proposals should also outline the processes in place to ensure participation at
a local level.
d)
From the perspective of the pilot initiative proposals will be accepted in the
context of the potential REDZ identified in the CEDRA report and appended to
this scheme outline (Appendix 1).
e)
The scheme will be a leverage scheme with up to 75% of the funding required
being available through the pilot initiative and the balance being made up by
cash and in-kind contributions from other sources e.g. Local Authority,
Chamber of Commerce, local business, fund raising etc. There will be a
minimum cash requirement of 15%.
f)
In-kind contributions can include the donation of premises, machinery, sites,
skilled and unskilled labour etc. that can be quantified in terms of monetary
value.
Detailed Scoring Framework
The scoring framework will allow for maximum marks for each individual
criterion as outlined below. In order to ensure that successful pilot schemes are
of a high quality a quality threshold of 65% will be required for each criterion
and the mark required to meet this is also outlined below.
Selection Criteria
Detailed Outline
Max
Score
Quality
Threshold
Capacity of the Applicant
Group
 Relevant experience and knowledge in
relation to the actions proposed under the
proposal
 Previous experience of managing and
delivering similar proposals
 A robust governance structure for the
management and delivery of the
proposal,
 Adequate financial management controls
and systems
 The degree to which the
project/programme addressed the specific
objectives and priorities for a specific
measure and as outline in the Measure
Sheet
 Extent of co-funding or leveraging of
matching private funding with particular
reference to philanthropic funding
 How does the proposal adopt a
collaborative approach to the
development and implementation of the
proposal, including co-operation and
partnership working with key
15
9.75
25
16.25
Compatibility with
REDZ Concept
the
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Added
Money
Value/Value
Demonstration
and potential
of
for
need
Realistic nature of the
proposal?
stakeholders, thus reducing duplication
 Participatory Approach
 Proposals that display specific focus on
engaging with stakeholders that have not
previously engaged with development
processes are particularly encouraged.
 what evidence is there that those most
impacted or will benefit from the
actions/interventions/activities outlined in
the proposal, have been involved in the
design and development of the proposal
 The degree to which the proposal is
additional to an organisation’s core, work
and activities, and is not being used as a
substitute for mainstream government
funding. This is funding for once of
initiatives and distinct pieces of work.
 Sustainability Extent to which the
project/programme has the potential to
make a lasting difference. The extent to
which the learning from the project has
the potential to be scaled up and applied
in other REDZ zones.
 Extent to which projects/programmes are
clear and include targets, realistic costing
and timescales
 Clear justification/rationale for costs
requested
 The proposal clearly identifies the
Numbers of people likely to benefit
directly
 The cost effectiveness of the proposal
with regard to the level, range and quality
of outputs and outcomes to be delivered.
 Complementary of programme with
Government programmes and objectives
demonstrating linkages with relevant
statutory providers were appropriate
 How does the proposal add value to
current initiatives, including the potential
to influence practice
 Is there a clear and concise statement of
need for the proposal in terms of the
specific needs identified and the
proposed actions.
 Does the proposed plan of actions and
activities meet the needs identified
 Engagement with the target group in the
design of the application
 Is there a clear demonstration of the
consideration of the potential of the area
particularly as it relates the concept of a
REDZ?
 Timescale of the project/programme; is it
realistic?
 A clear set of actions /activities have been
outlined in the proposal
 A clear set of defined outputs and
20
13
20
13
20
13
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outcomes have been included in the
proposal
 Scope/Reach of the proposal is clearly
outlined
 Extent to which the delivery mechanism
has been identified
 Incorporates evaluative processes to
measure outcomes/impact of the proposal
overtime
Total
15.
100
65
Proposed Application Timeframe
Open for applications:
29th May 2015
Closed for Applications:
31st August 2015
There is no formal application form however applications should use the
outline selection criteria to frame their proposal and ensure that all of the
considerations detailed in the scoring framework are addressed.
Applications for the pilot scheme should be emailed to CEDRA@environ.ie by
COB on Monday 31st August 2015.
16.
Monitoring and Reporting Requirements
Interim Report – 6 Months
Annual Report – 1 year
17.
Evaluation
Projects or proposals funded under this measure will be expected to report
against the agreed outputs and outcomes for the measure. The data collected
will be collated as part of Departmental reporting processes outlined in this
measure description.
It is expected that the collection of the data outlined will also include any
qualitative analysis that is conducted by the applicant and used as a narrative
to support the outcomes required by the measure.
18.
Publicity
It is a requirement of funding that recipients must acknowledge the source of
funding.
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Questions and Queries
Any queries regarding any element of the REDZ pilot initiative can be addressed to
CEDRA@environ.ie
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Appendix 1: Map of REDZ
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