By European Unit from NICVA
Published on 09 Jun 2005
EU funding to increase the economic and employment contribution that very small businesses make to the rural economy.
Objective: To increase the economic and employment contribution that very small businesses, including small farms, make to the rural economy by encouraging local partnerships to test out new approaches to micro-business development and, where beneficial, to work in collaboration with similar partnerships in other rural areas.
Funding priorities:
1. territorial rural development strategies
2. cooperation
3. networking.
1. Territorial rural development strategies - to support the economic development of rural areas in NI and encourage locally based partnerships (covering relatively small geographical areas and made up of representatives of the local public, private and voluntary sectors). Partnerships should think about the development needs and opportunities in their areas for small businesses and farms. It funds the implementation of integrated development strategies with a global approach and original ideas.
2. Cooperation - to support for local action groups that wish to cooperate on joint projects. It encourages effective cooperation between rural areas.
3. Networking - to cement knowledge of rural development by supporting projects that explore, understand and evaluate the lessons learned during the implementation of LEADER+. Support for networking all rural areas and organisations involved in rural development, whether funded by LEADER+ or not.
North-South networking: to build on the links established between Local Action Groups on both sides of the border under LEADER II.
East-West networking: ‘to promote the harmonious and mutually beneficial development of the totality of relationships among the peoples of these islands’, Belfast Agreement.
Finance
The EU contribution to NI through LEADER+ accounts for 13.68%, or £20 million(€30.834m), of the total EAGGF allocation to LEADER+ for the UK.
The authorities in NI,England, Scotland and Wales have agreed that £2 million (€3.10m) will be set aside to cover the costs of networking across the UK. 1% of the costs of the LEADER+ Programme will be reserved for programme management, monitoring and evaluation.
Visit www.eugrants.org/ to see the full LEADER+ Operational Programme.
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