The Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) is funded by Defra and the EU. The
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD): Europe investing in rural areas
Kent Downs & Marshes Leader is also funded by:
Kent Downs & Marshes Leader is also supported by:
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What is the RDPE Leader Programme?
The RDPE Leader Programme is a European Union rural funding approach, with
grant money available from late 2008-2013.
In the Kent Downs and Marshes (KD&M) Leader area the
funding is designated to:
Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE)
Leader is a way of spending money on local issues,
identified by people living in that local area. This bottomup identification of local problems leads to locally tailored
opportunities based on the social, economic,
environmental and land based needs of the Leader area.
•Add value to local products (with particular focus on the
land-based sector)
• Foster sustainable rural tourism (building on the unique
landscape-asset base of the area)
The money is locally controlled, with decisions about
which projects are funded being made by the Local Action
Group (LAG). The Kent Downs and Marshes LAG is
made up of representatives from organisations from
across the Kent Downs and Marshes Leader area. Final
decisions are made by the LAG Executive, which is a
board made up of 5 public sector and 6 private sector
organisations, representing the interests of the whole rural
community.
•Assisting rural communities (including businesses) in
managing change.
The Local Development Strategy (LDS) sets out the
funding priorities for the Kent Downs and Marshes Leader
area .
To access Leader funds, rural businesses, farmers,
foresters, growers, environmental organisations,
landowners, cultural, heritage and community providers
as well as voluntary and charitable organisations should
and need to think of projects to assist, strengthen and
develop themselves, and the rural community.
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Where is the Kent Downs and Marshes area?
Kent Downs and Marshes Leader funding is only available to projects based
within the Kent Downs and Marshes area:
Projects in West Kent
area may be eligible
for funding from the
West Kent Leader
Programme.
Contact details for
the West Kent Leader
Programme can be
found on the Useful
Information page.
If you are unsure
about your eligibility,
please use the
eligibility-postcode
checker on the
SEEDA website at:
http://www.seeda.co.uk/RDPE/Leader/index.asp
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Applying for RDPE Leader funding
Applying for Leader funding is a straight forward process:
Before Leader
Idea
Identifies
viability,
costs,
Legislation*
Look at
eligibility and
the LDS+ to
see if the
project fits
Complete and return
an Expression of
Interest (EOI) form
Contact the Kent
Downs Idea
and Marshes
Leader Programme
Expression of Interest and Application
Programme Staff will
review EOI, and work
with Applicant to
complete an
application form
Appraisal and Decision
Application
appraised by
Appraisal Panel.
Recommendation
made to LAG
Decision made
by LAG Executive
Panel¤, followed
by approval from
SEEDA
If approved, offer
letter sent and
Applicant can
begin the project.
* Planning requirements, health and safety, hygiene rules etc.
+ Local Development Strategy see the Useful Information Page
¤
Note, due to a limited budget, this is a competitive process and not all
projects will be funded.
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About RDPE Leader Funding
The KD&M Local Action Group has a total of £1.8m of funding available to
distribute over the entire project period of 2008-2013
The LAG’s money is divided up into a number of smaller
pots known as “measures,” and each measure
effectively represents a particular theme of the LAG’s
development priorities. These measures are set out on
the Measures and Intervention rates page.
All projects receiving LEADER funding will need to
provide a degree of “matched funding” from a private
source to make up the full project amount. The
percentage of the total project that LEADER can fund
(known as the intervention or support rate) depends
upon the measure that is being claimed against. These
rates are set out on the Measures and Intervention
rates page
It is essential that projects are written in such a way that
they can be shown to fit in to these measures,
otherwise the LAG cannot fund them. The ingredients
of a good Leader project page illustrates some of the
things you will need to consider when putting together
your project
It is worth noting that under some circumstances,
contributions “in kind” can be used towards the match
funding. Applicants should discuss this possibility with
Programme Staff if they are considering it, as certain
conditions apply.
Leader can only fund grants up to a maximum of
£50,000. For grant applications larger than this
applicants can contact SEEDA directly to apply for other
RDPE funding.
It is important to note that the LEADER programme
can only refund expenditure that has been made. It
can not provide up-front funding. Applicants will need
to ensure that they have sufficient liquid assets to
cover their expenses until their expenditure is
refunded. Please contact the Programme Staff for
more information on this issue.
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Measure 122 –
Improving the
economic value of
forests (50-60%)
Measures and
Intervention rates
These are the
measures and some
ideas about the types of
project Leader can
fund. For more detail
please see Chapter 5
RDPE programme
document, or talk to
programme staff
Measure 312 –
Support creation and
development of micro
businesses (50%)
- in-forest activities up to and
including harvesting and
thinning. - producing the
management plans linked to this
measure.
- retailing, manufacturing or
service industries,
environmental services,
renewable energy*
Measure 311 –
Diversification into
non-agricultural
(50%)
activities
- capital investment, start-up
revenue costs, market research and
feasibility studies, marketing
support, product development,
branding and design costs
- cultural and leisure activities,
development of community buildings,
community enterprises, energy services,
shop/retail services, support for
community ICT for benefit.
100% grants are only provided in exceptional circumstances
Measure 124 – Cooperation for the
development of new
products
- costs of collaboration between two or
more producers, processors or other
enterprises
Measure 313 –
Encouragement
of tourism
(up to 100%+)
Measure 321 –
Basic services
(up to 100%+)
+
Measure 123 –
Adding-value to (20agricultural and 50%)
forestry products
- processing, marketing, and
development of new products, processes
and technologies, for agricultural and
forestry products*
Measure 322 –
Village renewal
and development
(up to 100%+)
- small-scale infrastructure projects to
develop or enhance village and community
spaces and building, networking social
enterprises, community facilities.
()= Indicative intervention rate,
Please see Chapter 5 RDPE
programme document for more
detail
-development
and marketing of
tourism services
relating to rural
tourism
Measure 323 –
- environmental awareness actions and
Conservation and
investments to maintain, restore and upgrade
upgrading of rural
natural and cultural heritage
heritage (up to 100%+)
* Specific restrictions apply, see Chapter 5 RDPE programme document
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What are the “ingredients of a good Leader project?”
In order to give a project the best possible chance that their project will be funded,
it is essential that the project meets all of the following requirements:
Sustainable
Can continue
after the
funding is
finished
Fits the
vision
Can fit into
the Leader
measures
It is allowed
It can be
done under
RDPE rules*
Match
funding
Good
evidence that
the money is
there
Value for
money
It is the best
way of doing
it financially
It is needed
It can be
shown that it
will make a
difference
Innovative
It is not
already being
done nearby
It will work
It is well
thought out,
and feasible
*
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See the Useful Information Page for RDPE rules
Useful Information and Contacts
Contacts
Kent Downs and Marshes
Website
Kent Downs and Marshes Area:
Huw Jarvis/Richard Hall
(01622) 696940 / 221389
 Huw.jarvis@kent.gov.uk / Richard.hall@kent.gov.uk
http://www.kentruralnetwork.org/leader
Kent Downs and Marshes Local
Development Strategy
West Kent Area:
Caroline Lingham
(01732) 227000
 westkentleader@sevenoaks.gov.uk
http://www.kentruralnetwork.org/usefulpublication/LDS
Key Information
Rural Development Programme for England 2007-2013
Programme Document
http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/rdpe/progdoc.htm
EU Rural Development policy 2007-2013
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rurdev/index_en.htm
SEEDA RDPE Information
http://www.seeda.co.uk/RDPE/
UK RDPE Leader Network (to be updated)
http://www.ukleader.org.uk/
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