Programme Overview

Introduction to Programme

The new Rural Development Programme for Northern Ireland will run from 2014 – 2020. The Programme was formally approved by the European Commission on 25th August 2015.

The Northern Ireland Rural Development programme has a budget of up to £623 million, which was agreed with the European Union and the Northern Ireland Executive.

The EU have provided funding as the programme will deliver projects which will fall under one of the EU’s six priorities of Rural Development, which are outlined here.

Causeway Coast and Glens Local Action Group

Each of the 11 Northern Ireland Council areas has been designated funding pots to deliver Priority 6 projects in their area. To manage the process of distributing funds in each council area, Local Action Groups (LAGs) are set-up. The Causeway Coast and Glens LAG has been allocated £9.6 million budget which will be available to project applicable Priority 6 projects.

A Local Action Group (LAG) consists of:

• Wider members (280 in Causeway Coast and Glens LAG)
• A LAG Board, with members consisting of
  • Social Partners (local individuals from the business, community and voluntary sector)
  • Elected partners (local councillors)

The key activities that the LAG Board undertake are:

• Accepting or rejecting applications
• Appraising, assessing and scoring applications
• Issuing Letters of Offer to successful applicants
• Oversee implementation of the LAG Strategy
• Meeting on a monthly business with Council to assess progress
• Network with other EU LAGs to explore and implement co-operation activities.

The LAG is supported by a Rural Development Administration Unit from Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, and it is the administration unit who will communicate with clients throughout the application process.

Funding Schemes

The Rural Development Programme aims to disperse funding through six different schemes, they are:

• Rural Business Investment Scheme
• Rural Basic Services Scheme
• Village Renewal Scheme
• Rural Broadband Scheme
• Leadership Cooperation Scheme
• Rural Tourism Scheme (This strand of funding is directly managed by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, and thus the LAG does not play any part in processing such applications)

More Information about these schemes is in our Schemes section. The schemes will allow for a variety of projects to be funded, and it is around these schemes that the Causeway Coast and Glens LAG has developed its strategic aim.