South Kerry Development Partnership will deliver Axis 3 and Axis 4 of the Rural Development (LEADER) Programme 2007 - 2013.

The aim of Axis 3 is to improve the quality of life in rural areas and encourage diversification of the rural economy.   This objective will be achieved by:

·         Increasing economic activity in the rural economy,
·         Supporting the creation and development of micro-enterprises in the rural economy,
·         Encouraging rural tourism based on the sustainable development of natural resources and the cultural & natural heritage,
·         Improving access to basic services for rural dwellers,
·         Regenerating rural villages by improving economic prospects, community relations and quality of life, and
·         Maintaining, restoring and upgrading the natural and built heritage.
 

The aim of Axis 4 is to implement local development strategies consistent with the Programme with a view to achieving the objectives of one or more of the other Axes.  The LEADER approach, developed through successive LEADER initiatives, will be used to deliver all the measures under Axes 3 & 4.  This approach will comprise:

·         Area-based local development strategies developed and delivered by LAGs,
·         A bottom-up approach to the implementation of the local development strategies,
·         The implementation of innovative approaches,
·         The implementation of co-operation projects, and the
·         Networking of local partnerships.
 
Eligibility Criteria/Conditions of Aid

DIVERSIFICATION INTO NON-AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITIES
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Objective:
To significantly increase the percentage of holdings where the fixed assets of the farm are utilised in any non-agricultural activity by a member of the farm household for economic gain.
 
Eligible activities:
·         All non-agricultural enterprise activities undertaken by farm families, in particular, provision of tourism facilities. The type of facilities envisaged would be renovation of farm buildings for tourism purposes, walking, cycling, angling, pony trekking, bird watching etc.
·         Development of niche tourism and educational services such as arts and crafts, speciality food provision, open farms etc.
·         Development of farm shops selling home/locally grown produce and manufactured products.
Ineligible activities:
·         Support for agricultural activity.
 
 

SUPPORT FOR BUSINESS CREATION AND DEVELOPMENT

Objective:
To position rural areas so as to provide economic activity of sufficient mass to attract people to live and work there.

Eligible activities:
·         Selected investment in small rural enterprise space.
·         Provision for a range of assistance types for start-up enterprises and expansion of existing enterprises including the adoption of new technologies.
·         Development of innovative products and activities.
·         The provision of a range of assistance types for adding value to local products, including support for business networks, collective marketing, local branding initiatives, and improved quality and development of artisan processing facilities.
·         Utilisation of local ICT capacity, for example centralised online processing of micro enterprise administrative activities, will also be supported.
·         Actions to foster rural entrepreneurship particularly combined with support for small-scale research, analysis and development.
 

ENCOURAGEMENT OF TOURISM ACTIVITIES

Objective:
To maximise the sustainable, regionally balanced, tourism potential of all rural areas through provision of necessary infrastructure and development of the countryside as a recreational resource for all.
 
Eligible activities:

·         Analysis and provision of infrastructural needs for tourism and Countryside Recreation in a defined area
·         Maintenance of vernacular features – in a way that protects the heritage of the features – such as disused railway lines, canal towpaths, bog roads etc.
·         Development of the use of forests for countryside recreation.
·         Development of niche tourism such as crafts, speciality food provision, ecotourism, genealogy, archaeology etc.
·         Development of the use of the Internet and e-commerce facilities in general for the provision of booking and information services to tourists.
·         Support for the development of tourism facilities and amenities.
·         Support for tourism marketing.
·         Support for the provision of tourism accommodation.
 

BASIC SERVICES FOR THE ECONOMY AND RURAL POPULATION

Objective:
To identify and provide appropriate cultural and leisure facilities to local communities, not otherwise available to them.

Eligible activities:

Initiatives will broadly address the provision of:
·         Amenity and leisure facilities
·         Support for cultural activities
·         Certain arts facilities
·         General community and recreational infrastructure
·         Innovative activities in local communities such as social and information networks etc.
Ineligible activities:
·         Mainstream activities of sports organisations and bodies are excluded from support under this measure.
 

VILLAGE AND COUNTRYSIDE RENEWAL AND DEVELOPMENT

Objective:
To provide appropriate supports to enhance the economic and social attractiveness of villages, small towns and the surrounding countryside.

Eligible activities:

·         Environmental upgrading e.g. upgrading parks, civic areas, river walks etc.
·         Access facilities to amenities
·         Public utilities such as street lighting &c. but excluding water, sewage and major road works
·         General appearance upgrading (such as ornamental paving, street art, ornamental lighting, &c.) and renovation of relevant derelict buildings excluding traditional farm buildings
·         Farmers markets.
Ineligible activities:
·         Traditional farm buildings are excluded from the upgrading and renovation of relevant derelict buildings.
 

CONSERVATION AND UPGRADING OF THE RURAL HERITAGE

Objective:
To provide an integrated approach to the protection of the local heritage through a suite of related preservation actions, complemented by a range of initiatives designed to develop the sustainable economic contribution of the natural heritage.

 Eligible activities:

·         Actions to preserve and develop vernacular architecture, crafts, archaeology, cultural traditions etc.
·         Integrated plans for the restoration and development of locally significant natural areas, features and areas of environmental significance.
·         Community environmental actions to protect and restore the amenity value of local water resources and high value nature areas.
·         Other environmental initiatives aimed at waste reduction.
·         Alternative or renewable energy actions addressing suitability of new technologies to meet community energy needs, awareness actions for community groups and under certain conditions, capital assistance to community groups adopting such technology.
Ineligible activities:
·         Conservation and protection of National Monuments, so defined under the National Monuments Acts 1930-2004.
 

TRAINING AND INFORMATION

Objective:
To equip rural dwellers and communities with the appropriate range of skills and training to derive maximum social and economic benefit from the initiatives available under the Axis.

Eligible activities:

·         Provision of general/specialised training courses in fixed/mobile facilities and in-house development of appropriate training facilities linked to the increased use of know-how and new technologies to make the products and services in rural areas more competitive.
·         Provision of flexible learning opportunities in new technology for women, young people and minority groups in particular.
·         Development of training facilities in rural areas (fixed/mobile).
·         Facilitation of distance learning (mainstream or tailored courses) through the use of new technologies.
·         Provision of relevant training courses to those wishing to add value to local products, in particular by facilitating access to markets for small production units via collective actions.
·         Developing the capacity of rural dwellers to utilise ICT including Internet and broadband to access e-services and other public/commercial electronic applications.
·         Support for third-level courses in rural development, which are primarily based on distance learning. The prior approval of EU Rural Development Division is required for these courses.
Ineligible activities:
·         Courses of instruction or training which form part of normal education programmes at secondary or higher levels, with the exception of courses or training provided through distance learning.
 
Aid shall not be awarded or paid in respect of the following mainstream categories:
 
·         Agriculture
·         Fisheries
·         Childcare
·         Education
·         Greyhound Industry
·         Healthcare activities
·         Housing
·         Race and sport horse industries (with the exception of ancillary activities for the provision of services to those industries).
 
Aid shall not be awarded in respect of the following activities:
 
·         Conventional motor vehicles, including cars, industrial/farm/construction vehicles, vans, buses, &c.
·         Conventional retail operations, excluding community based shops and farm shops selling locally produced produce.
·         Courses of instruction or training which form the part of normal education programmes or systems at secondary or higher levels
·         Insurance for project promoters
·         Loans
·         Mainstream activities of sporting clubs and organisations
·         Nursing homes
·         Planning application fees
·         Purchase of land or buildings
·         Race Horses or Sport Horses
·         Second-hand equipment
·         Working capital (including stock).

 
Other Sources of Aid
All relevant funding bodies (eg. Kerry County Enterprise Board, Failte Ireland, Teagasc, FAS etc.) must be exhausted prior to submission of an application for grant aid to South Kerry Development Partnership Rural Development (LEADER) Programme. Aid cannot be secured from any two sources in respect of a particular project / phase of a project.

 
Contact Details
 

For further information on the Rural Development (LEADER) Programme please contact:
 
Catherine Evans – RDP Manager 066 – 9472724 cevans@skdp.net

Nuala McDaid – RDP Development Officer 066 – 9472724 nmcdaid@skdp.net

Clare Thoma – RDP Development Officer 064 – 6641930 cthoma@skdp.net