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Opportunities for tourism funding via LEADER

Leader funding is still available in the South East.  Last year SEEDA awarded a total of £29 million of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) funds to 14 Leader Local Action Groups (LAG) in the South East region.  Leader is a locally-led approach to support a range of schemes to create wealth in rural areas.

Each Local Action Group is able to draw down funding of between £1.6 million and £2.6 million for local projects until 2013.  The LAGs will decide where the share of the money goes to ensure it fits its local priorities.  Rural businesses (including tourism) along with farmers, foresters, growers and community organisations in South East England which fall into a Leader area can apply directly to their local Leader group for funding for projects.  Each project that a Leader group supports can receive a grant of up to £50,000.

The funding is eligible to cover a wide range of activities such as farm diversification, tourism activities, renewable energy projects, forestry projects, village renewal projects, support for micro businesses, and rural heritage projects.

To be eligible for funding through a Leader Local Action Group, business(es) must lie within a LAG area.