Rural Development Funding is on its way!

North Wessex Downs LEADER 
Rural Development Funding is on its way!

The North Wessex Downs Local Action Group is delighted to announce that its bid for new funding from Defra has been approved (subject to contracts being agreed).  We have secured 2.132m Euros to run a new LEADER Programme between 2015 and 2020.  

Funding will be available for farmers, foresters, community enterprises and rural-based businesses and there will be six priorities for investment:
• Farming productivity
• Micro and small businesses (including farm diversification)
• Tourism / the visitor economy
• Forestry productivity
• Rural services and connectivity and
• Culture and heritage. 

We are now busy preparing to be "open for business" in June / July this year and are working with Defra to confirm programme rules, the application process and new forms.

If you have a business development or community project idea which will improve the rural economy and quality of life for people locally please get in contact. We are keen to understand your plans and timescales and how we might be able to help. 

We have extended the boundary of our area for LEADER funding so more villages, farms and woodland will be potentially eligible for funding – please check our website for the new map.  If your project falls outside our area it may well fall within a neighbouring LEADER area so check the link here which takes you to the government website showing all the Local Action Groups which will be running a LEADER programme from the summer: https://www.gov.uk/rural-development-programme-for-england-leader-funding 

To find out more or talk through your ideas please contact our Programme Manager, Dawn Hamblin, on: nwdleaderprogramme@wiltshire.gov.uk  or 01488 680458.  

Visit our website at: www.northwessexleader.org.uk  to read our Local Development Strategy and find details of the kinds of projects we want to support.