Outer Hebrides LEADER

Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP)

SRDP is a Scottish Government operated funded amounting to £1.6billion for economies, environmental and social measures to develop rural Scotland between 2007-2013.

The measures will be delivered through the following schemes

• Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme
• Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation Grant Scheme
• Forestry Commission Challenge Funds
• The LEADER initiative
• Less Favoured Area Support Scheme
• Rural Development Contracts - Rural Priorities
• Skills Development Scheme

SRDP aims to establish benefits for the public through adopting local solutions through the above schemes. The funding comes from The Scottish Government, the European Agricultural Fund from Rural Development and Voluntary Modulation.

Rural Development Contracts - Rural Priorities

Rural Development Contracts - Rural Priorities, is a competitive mechanism to ensure that contracts are awarded for proposals which are best able to deliver the rural priorities. Projects eligible for Rural Priorities are not normally considered eligible for LEADER support. This includes sports, leisure and recreational facilities, unless these are linked to wider tourism benefits.

Rural Priorities aim to focus on the following:

• Business viability and competitiveness
• Water quality
• Adaptations to mitigate climate change
• Biodiversity and landscapes
• Thriving rural communities

Applications towards Rural Development Contracts - Rural Priorities come from a wide range of participants including land managers, rural businesses and rural community groups.

Unlike LEADER where Local Action Groups manage and administrate the delivery of the programme, Regional Proposal Assessment Committee's (RPAC) will consider applications which have made it through the first stage of the application of Submitting a Statement of Intent (SoI).

For more information on Regional Priorities and the application process please visit the Scottish Government Website or contact your local Scottish Natural Heritage office (Western Isles office - 01851 705258).