The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has today (9th April) announced the details of the allocation of the €70 million Transitional LEADER programme for the period 2021-2022.
- Local Groups can apply for funding immediately.
- A total of €70 million to support rural communities and enterprises.
- Funding allocations for 29 Local Action Groups announced.
- Ground-Up approach of LEADER a key plank of Our Rural Future.
Some additional headline points of the Transitional Programme include:
- €65 million allocated to support locally-led rural development projects across the 29 Local Action Groups (LAGs).
- €3 million allocated to support the LEADER Cooperation measure which encourages rural areas to work together on collaborative projects.
- €2 million will be allocated to prepare for the next LEADER Programme.
Commenting on the new programme today, Minister Humphreys said:
“Every Town, Village and Parish is different and that means the people best placed to effect change in their communities are the people who live there.”
Minister Humphreys continued:
“This funding will support locally-led projects which focus on many of the key themes of Our Rural Future such as building capacity and empowering local communities, embracing opportunities in the green economy, supporting remote working and the digital transformation, developing our outdoor amenities and creating jobs in rural areas.”
Minister Humphreys concluded:
“If the pandemic has taught us anything it is to think outside the box so if you have an innovative idea that can make a real difference in your community then pick up the phone and contact your local LEADER company today. “
Contact details for all Local Action Groups and their Implementing Partners (Local Development Companies) can be found here.
