How to Apply
To be eligible for support from the LEADER programme, your project must contribute to one or more of the activities and targets set out in the Rural Perth and Kinross LEADER Programme Local Development Strategy and the Business Plan found at the bottom of this page.
Take a look at some of our currently funded projects for inspiration.
The LEADER application process has two key stages,  both must be completed before being submitted to the Local Action Group for consideration:

Expression of Interest
The submission of an EoI is the first step in applying for LEADER funding.  It is your opportunity to present your initial ideas/needs to the Rural Perth & Kinross LEADER Team and the relevant Local Action Group subgroup.

At this stage, there is no requirement for a full project plan to be in place.

The EoI is submitted through the Scottish Rural Network www.ruralnetwork.scot/funding/leader . You must answer all the questions on the form (within the required fields). Once you have completed all the relevant sections you can submit it.  Your form will be sent direct to the Rural Perth & Kinross LEADER Team who will then contact you to discuss the form with you.  Follow up work may include a meeting and/or a request for clarification/further information. Once more information is obtained and the initiative demonstrates it will meet the objectives of the LEADER programme, the Team will then advise you whether or not the proposal should proceed to full application and guide you towards match funding that you might be eligible to apply for.   You will be invited to complete the Application Form.
Applicants submitting an EoI for a cooperation project (more than one Local Action Group area) must submit the EoI to the Local Action Group, listing the other LAG areas that you anticipate the project covering.

Your EoI will be assessed for:

• fit with the relevant Local Development Strategy
• suitability for LEADER funding
• level of funding requested
  

Next Steps
If the LEADER Team do not agree to your proposal proceeding, you will be provided with feedback on why the EoI was rejected alongside suggestions for future submission or alternative potential funding options.
If your EoI is approved to proceed you will be invited to complete the Application Form.
Note: the acceptance of your EoI at this stage is not a guarantee of future funding. The Local Action Group has absolute discretion in the determination of an application for LEADER funding

Making an Application
If your proposal proceeds to application, the LEADER Team will be on hand to work with you to develop your idea and advise you on match funding options. 
Take a look at this flowchart to see the easy steps to making an application.
 
GDPR: LEADER Application Forms, once submitted, will be shared with  partners/special advisors to the local action group for the purpose of assessing the suitability of your project proposal in meeting the objectives of the local development strategy(ies). Partners/special advisors will not retain, share or use personal data for any other purpose. If you need further information please contact us at info@rualnetwork.scot. Please also refer to the Scottish Government Agriculture & Rural Economy Privacy Policy on how personal information is used and looked after. This can be found at https://www.ruralpayments.org/publicsite/futures/privacy-policy/. You have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you; information on how to request this or to exercise your other rights can be found in the Privacy Policy
 
Upcoming Deadlines  
Please be aware we have fully allocated our agreed budget, at this time we are no longer accepting any new applications.
Please also keep in mind there may be other funding options you can explore too, RPK LEADER has jointly funded a project which links communities and small and micro businesses up with Crowdfunder Scotland in the Rural Perth and Kinross area to enable them to raise match funding for their project and develop crowdfunding expertise from support from Crowdfunder coaches.  Contact the RPK team and we can link you up with our Crowdfunder coach!
 
GDPR: LEADER Application Forms, once submitted, will be shared with  partners/special advisors to the local action group for the purpose of assessing the suitability of your project proposal in meeting the objectives of the local development strategy(ies). Partners/special advisors will not retain, share or use personal data for any other purpose. If you need further information please contact us at info@rualnetwork.scot. Please also refer to the Scottish Government Agriculture & Rural Economy Privacy Policy on how personal information is used and looked after. This can be found at https://www.ruralpayments.org/publicsite/futures/privacy-policy/. You have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you; information on how to request this or to exercise your other rights can be found in the Privacy Policy
 
Support from the LEADER Team
Throughout the process the LEADER Team will support you in submitting your application, therefore, if you have any questions regarding your idea for a project / initiative, how to apply, assistance in completing application forms please contact the LEADER Team
 
Key Documents
Rural Perth & Kinross LEADER Local Development Strategy 2014-2020
Rural Perth & Kinross LEADER Business Plan 2014-2020

Assessment & Approvals
Once you have submitted your application, the application will be verified and then assessed by the relevant members of the releavant LAG Sub Group (Young People / SME / Broadband / Community Capacity) and then assessed every two months by the full Local Action Group. Submission and assessment dates can be found here.  The Local Action Group assessment considers factors such as how closely the project meets the aims of the Rural Perth and Kinross LEADER Programme, engagement of the community in the project, the sustainability of the project and how innovative the project is.
It is likely that the maximum grant achievable from LEADER will be 50% of total eligible costs.  Projects requesting less than £1000 from LEADER will be ineligible.  As LEADER is not able to fully fund any project you will be required to demonstrate that you have match funding in place before your application will be considered.
If you are seeking funding of less than £5,000, there is a fast track process for assessments, whereby, the application can be submitted at any time, with decisions made on a rolling basis without the need to wait until the next Local Action Group Meeting.
Assessments of applications seeking funding of more than £5,000 will be made at the next Local Action Group Meeting.  Such meetings are likely to take place quarterly with deadlines for submission of applications for the meeting published in this section of the site in advance.
Offer of Funding
Once the LAG has assessed the application, you will be informed of the decision immediately.
For those projects which are successful, an offer letter will be sent, detailing the funding offer, which must be accepted in writing within 14 days of the date on which the offer letter was issued.  The project must not commence until after the offer letter has been signed and returned to the LEADER office.

Application Deadlines
The Rural Perth & Kinross LEADER Programme is open to applications, however funds can not be released until after the Scottish Governement’s online LARCS system is fully functional in the Spring 2016.
The below are indicative deadlines for the submission of application forms and Local Action Group meeting / assessment dates.
Please ensure you have submitted your Expression of Interest and contacted the LEADER Team prior to submitting your application.                   

Claims
Once the offer has been accepted, the project will be required to show evidence of commencement by the date agreed in the offer letter.  The project will be required to make claims for the funding in arrearsafter expenditure has been incurred and milestones achieved. Guidance will be provided on how to complete the claims and documentation required. Claims will made through the LARCS system.