Project approvals under the Transitional Programme will commence from 1st April 2021. The Programme will bridge gap between EU LEADER programming periods.

The Initial allocation of €521k to support Sligo-led rural development with a key focus on building capacity in communities.

The main priorities include:

• Supports to rural businesses seeking to reach new markets, expand, innovate and/or diversify in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and/or Brexit, with a particular emphasis on providing support to businesses in the food sector.
• Community based projects that seek to address the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Supports and capacity building for communities that have not previously received assistance under LEADER or other rural programmes.
• Support for new and innovative projects in the areas of climate change, environmental protection and the green economy.
• Maximising the potential of broadband and the digital economy in communities, including through skills development and building awareness and usage of available remote working facilities.
• Projects that develop the concept of the Smart Village initiative or Rural Economic Development Zones (REDZs).

Find out more:

For Application information please email sheffernan@sligoleader.com

Closing date for first round of applications is the 28th May 2021.

Announcing the details of the Transitional Programme, Minister Humphreys said :

“Since 1991, the LEADER Programme has played an important role in the development and enhancement of rural areas, by providing critical funding to rural economies, and supporting rural communities to implement a local-led ‘bottom-up’ approach to developing their own areas.

With co-financing from the EU, LEADER has supported thousands of projects across Ireland. It has contributed to job creation, community development and environmental projects throughout the length and breadth of rural Ireland.

A new call for proposals under the LEADER Food Initiative will also be announced in 2021. This Initiative, which is jointly managed by my Department and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, will support small food producers to address emerging challenges, such as responding to the impact of Brexit and developing markets for their products.

The Transitional Programme will give local communities and enterprises an opportunity to respond to the emerging challenges for rural areas and to look ahead to issues that are likely to feature in the next EU programme.

It will allow the Local Development Companies to build capacity within communities who have not received LEADER funding to date, while also facilitating preparations for the next LEADER programme.”

County Sligo LEADER Partnership Company welcome increased LEADER allocation for 2021 & 2022

(Friday March 12th 2021) County Sligo LEADER Partnership Company CLG, a member of the Irish Local Development Network (ILDN) who represent the 35 Local Development Companies (LDCs) who deliver the LEADER Programme nationally, have welcomed the announcement by the Minister for Rural & Community Development Heather Humphreys TD, and Minister for Agriculture Food & Marine Charlie McConalogue TD, of an increased allocation of €70 million in 2021 & 2022 for the LEADER Programme.

Welcoming the announcement, John Feerick SLPC CEO said; “County Sligo LEADER Partnership Company and ILDN have been calling recently for the Government to utilise funding available from the EU for Rural Development, for the purposes of LEADER. As the deliverers of LEADER in County Sligo we are greatly encouraged by today’s announcement of an increased allocation of €70 million to the end of 2022.”

“The LEADER Programme offers the ideal vehicle for the delivery of development funding to Rural Areas in the most effective manner. The allocation of this increased funding will deliver critical stimulus to Rural areas to help drive the post Covid recovery. Furthermore, the funding announced today will ensure that more vital projects in Sligo are focused on climate change, digital transformation, remote working and enterprise development can be progressed in our rural communities throughout the country to meet the expectations of the EU in terms of the requirements of its Recovery funding criteria.”

-ENDS-

Grow your own flowers!

This wonderful project provides each participant with their own free Flowerpot Kit consisting of seed tray, plant pots, identifier tags, compost (organic) and 5 varieties of flowering plants.

Also included is a step-by-step guide to planting seeds.

The project will be hosted by The Organic Centre who have long term experience in training and community garden development.

To apply for the project:

Contact: Geri Bruce 086 4183717 or email gbruce@sligoleader.com

*Priority will be given to those in receipt of a Social Welfare payment.

The Community Garden project is delivered through the Social Inclusion Community and Activation Programme (SICAP). SICAP promotes social inclusion for communities and individuals at risk of social exclusion.

Now taking Expressions of Interest!

This course will be offered to 10 groups, or collection of groups in an area that are interested in making their community and local area more biodiversity friendly. The course will upskill and teach volunteers how to protect and enhance the biodiversity of their local areas and provide them with the tools to develop their own plan to support long term improvement of their area’s biodiversity.

Our aim is to encourage a whole community approach to creating awareness and building capacity for the protection and conservation of local biodiversity. This training will help you to identify projects for environmental protection and conservation. We would like to hear from all sorts of organisations and groups across County Sligo.

We have capacity to support 10 areas or groups and would encourage groups such as Tidy Towns groups, community development groups, men’s sheds, sporting groups, residents’ associations and any other interested groups who are looking to improve their local biodiversity to get involved.

Apply here