LEADER is a scheme within the Rural Development Programme which offers grants ranging from £5,000 – £50,000 to local business and organisations based on 40% of the cost of the project being granted.
Eligible claimants could be farmers, growers, foresters, local rural businesses and rural community organisations and are specifically targeted at “micro” enterprises (less than 10 full time employees).
Applicants must contribute to one or more of LEADER’s six national policies;
- Support for increased farm productivity.
- Equipment and machinery to improve energy, water and input use efficiency eg. Precision farming.
- Equipment and machinery to reduce impact on soils eg. specialist drills
- Investments for slurry management
- Investments to modernise or mechanise production and increase productivity
- Technology to increase feed use
- Improvements to housing to improve welfare and energy efficiency
- Equipment and machinery to improve animal handling over and above standard
- Support for micro and small enterprises and farm diversifications.
- Support for rural tourism.
- Support for provision of rural services.
- Support for increasing forestry productivity.
- Support for cultural and heritage activity.
The application process for all LAGs requires the submission of an “Outline Application” which if successful will move onto a “Full Application”.
The “Outline Application” requests information on the project proposals and how it will help the business going forward in terms of jobs created / safe guarded, turnover generated etc. It also requests a reasonable estimation of the likely costs of the project so that this can be considered against the benefits it will bring. If the project is invited to the “Full Application” stage then quotes will have to be sought, budgets produced and permissions (eg. planning gained) in order to go into the application to be assessed.
Applicants within the Cotswold, South Worcestershire, Forest of Dean and Tewkesbury Council areas are able to apply.
Please contact Alyssia Thomas at Carver Knowles for further information: alyssiathomas@fts.carverknowles.co.uk