LEADER (Rural Development Programme)
LEADER is a rural development funding programme available to people and communities who want to develop enterprise, community and environmental projects. There are three themes and nine sub-themes eligible for funding under the current LEADER programme as follows:
Economic Development Enterprise Development & Job Creation
- Rural Tourism
- Enterprise Development
- Rural Towns
- Broadband
Social Inclusion
- Basic services targeted at hard-to-reach communities
- Rural Youth
Rural Environment
- Protection and sustainable use of water resources
- Protection and improvement of local biodiversity
- Development of renewable energy
For more information about the Transitional LEADER Programme, please see here
For more information about the EURI programme, please see here
| Type of Investment | Private Applicant | Community Applicant |
|---|---|---|
| Capital Investment Grants – Buildings, renovations, equipment etc. | 75% to a maximum grant of €150,000* | 75% to a maximum grant of €300,000* |
| Analysis & Development Grants (Feasibility studies, prototypes etc.) | 75% to a maximum grant of €30,000* | 90% to a maximum grant of €30,000* |
| Training Grants – Tailored training that does not form part of the national curriculum. | 100% to a maximum grant of €150,000* | 100% to a maximum grant of €200,000* |
* Please note that these are the maximum grants available, and they may not be awarded in all cases.
LEADER support is available to a variety of applicants including:
- New Businesses
- Existing Businesses
- Business Partnerships
- Companies Limited by Shares
- Formalised Community/Voluntary Groups
- Companies Limited by Guarantee
- Trusts
- Social Enterprises
If your business, group or organisation does not appear on this list, please talk to a Project Officer to see if you are eligible to apply.
To give you an idea of the type of applicants and projects that have been supported in the past, please find a link to LEADER grants approved under the LEADER 2014-2020 programme as at 31 December 2020
SWMDC implements LEADER in south and west Mayo, including Gaeltacht areas.
For more information, please contact:
| Norita Clesham | LEADER Community Officer | nclesham@southmayo.com | 087 611 4072 |
| Sue O’Toole | Senior LEADER Enterprise Officer | sotoole@southmayo.com | 087 254 9470 |
| Seán Carolan | Rural Development (LEADER) Manager | scarolan@southmayo.com | 086 136 6075 |
Apply for a LEADER grant
