LEADER RDP 2014 – 2020

Funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development

The Louth Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) is the Local Action Group (LAG) with ultimate responsibility for the delivery, implementation and finances of the LEADER RDP 2014-2020 programme in County Louth

The LEADER elements of the Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 will provide €6,101,862 over the lifetime of the programme to support the sustainable development of County Louth.

Louth Local Development, a partner on the LCDC will be the Implementing Partner with responsibility for implementing actions in the county on behalf of the Local Action Group (LCDC).

The Louth Local Community Development Committee objectives over the programme period is to distribute grants to local businesses, farmers and community organisations to help support activities that foster social inclusion, generate jobs, grow our local rural economy and maximise the potential of environmental actions to contribute to the sustainable development of rural communities.

Louth Local Development on behalf of the Louth LCDC is seeking expressions of interest that will help us to achieve these objectives.

What is LEADER ?

LEADER is a French acronym and stands for ‘Links between actions of rural development’.

As its name suggests, LEADER is a method of mobilising and delivering rural development in local rural communities, rather than a fixed set of measures to be implemented. Experience has shown that LEADER can make a real difference to the daily lives of people in rural areas, with local businesses and community groups in County Louth benefiting from LEADER funding since 1991.

It promotes social inclusion, poverty reduction and the economic development of rural areas. LEADER is based on a bottom up approach to rural development whereby rural communities and people identify their own needs and propose solutions.

Local Development Strategy

LEADER involved the design and delivery of a Local Development Strategy (LDS) for County Louth. The Local Development Strategy is a community-led plan, developed and driven by rural communities through the Louth Local Community Development Committee, to address the locally identified needs and to achieve a defined set of local objectives.

During the public consultation process in Autumn 2015, participants were specifically invited to comment on each of the Rural Development Programme Themes and Objectives and meant that all funding decisions that will be taken by the Louth Local Community Development Committee are underpinned by the Local Objectives and Actions contained in the County Louth Local Development Strategy (Section 4).

The foundations for this plan build on previous programmes and initiatives and draws heavily from the current trends identified in the socio-economic and demographic analysis, the review of the challenges and successes experienced in the previous programme round, and by those people most in need that did not have the opportunity to benefit.

Further detailed information on the LEADER approach and Rural Development Programme can be found at: ENRD

What can LEADER fund ?

LEADER includes a number of themes that reflect the key challenges facing rural Ireland today, with regard to economic recovery, employment creation, tackling social exclusion and reducing the impact of global warming and resource depletion.

Theme 1: Economic Development, Enterprise Development & Job Creation
Theme 2: Social Inclusion
Theme 3: Rural Environment

Each theme contains a number of sub-themes, which are considered the key areas in need of the greatest support and have the greatest potential to promote the sustainable development of rural communities.