LEADER

LEADER is a community-led approach to development delivering EU funding to rural businesses and communities through Ireland’s Rural Development Programme 2023-2027.

Funding is delivered to 28 sub-regional areas through Local Action Groups (LAGs). These groups are partnerships of public and private entities from a defined geographical area. Local action groups are responsible for local projects following the local development strategies they develop themselves. Implementing Partners (IP) are responsible for delivering actions on behalf of the LAG and are a point of contact for enquiries and applications. 

In Longford, Longford Local Community Development Committee (LCDC) is the LAG and Longford Community Resources Clg is the IP. Longford County Council is the financial partner of the LEADER programme in Longford.

Longford Local Development Strategy

LEADER promotes social inclusion, poverty reduction and the economic development of rural areas. It does this through targeted support focusing on themes and priorities identified in the Longford Local Development Strategy - a community-led action plan for Longford. 

Leader 2023-2027

County Longford has been allocated €5.8m under the Rural Development Programme 2023-2027 to support sustainable development. The process of conducting public consultations and focus groups has now been completed, with feedback gathered on the challenges, issues and opportunities facing rural communities and businesses and how LEADER can best support them. The feedback from the consultation process formed the basis for the development of the Local Development Strategy.

LEADER 2014-2022

The previous LEADER programme supported over 150 projects with €7,597,623 in funding for the enterprise, tourism and community sectors.

Contact

Longford Community Resources Clg, as the implementing partner is the main LEADER point of contact. For more information, visit their website LCRL.ie/LEADER.

For queries relating to LCDC's role in LEADER programme:
Email the LCDC Chief Officer on lcdc@longfordcoco.ie