Rural Development Programme for England
The Rural Development Programme for England supports our rural areas in a number of ways.
The Programme overall seeks to support farmers and foresters to deliver environmentally beneficial land management practices and to modernise and adapt to changing issues.
Funding is also available to develop wider rural businesses and enhance opportunities in communities where deprivation exists.
RDPE is built around 4 main objectives:
- improving the competitiveness of the agricultural and forestry sector;
- improving the environment and the countryside;
- quality of life in rural areas and diversification of the rural economy;
- the Leader approach targeting rural communities (in which Lincolnshire has three leader areas)
Each objective is further broken into measures which set out activities eligible for funding. Further information on the overall RDPE programme can be found by following the link http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/rdpe/|
News Update: A new small grant scheme was launched on the 10th November primarily for the agricultural and forestry sector. There is a handbook on what is eligible for funding and an application form available for download at the link below.
http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk/funding-sources/farm-and-forestry-improvement-scheme|
Lincolnshire Leader Areas
Part of the programme targets rural communities as part of the £12 million LEADER Approach - projects where local groups decide and agree their own priorities and needs. Local Action Groups were invited to bid for a portion of the funding to help improve the quality of life and economic prosperity of their community through small scale innovative projects.
Lincolnshire successfully had three bids approved:-
Coastal Action Zone (CAZ) which seeks to build a sustainable future through realising the natural assets of an undervalued coast.
Lindsey Action Zone (LAZ) which strives for an area which is increasingly self-sufficient, renowned for high quality and well known for its local character and special features. It will be a welcoming and attractive place to live, work, invest and visit.
Wash Fens with a vision to narrow the gap between the underperforming economic environment of the Wash Fens and the potential it possesses to become a modern, thriving, rural area where people choose to live, work and visit.
Each scheme is looking to improve the quality of life and the economic prosperity, and is characterised by the following:-
- an area-based local development strategy
- bottom-up development and implementation of strategies
- local public-private partnerships
- integrated and multi-sector actions
- innovation
- co-operation and networking
A minimum of 50% private sector match funding is required for most project applications.
For more information on the types of projects that may be supported then follow the web links for each individual leader area. NB: Funding is subject to current budget availability and it is advised that you contact your local LAG manager before submitting an expression of Interest.
