Forth Valley & LomondLEADER

Rural Communities Event

Stirling Council Chambers12 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

£295,238

£295,238

£295,238£29,524

£1,299,047

Animation/Administration

Small Business Support

Farm Business Diversification

Co-operation

Co-operation Preparation

Funding for Local Projects

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 CO-

OPERATION 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