Economic development company Opportunity Peterborough and Rutland County Council launched the new grant fund and support programme last November, following a successful joint bid to secure £1.32 million to fund and deliver support in Rutland and rural Peterborough. The LEADER scheme, part of the Rural Development Programme for England, is jointly funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural
Development (EAFRD) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Farmers, growers, rural businesses and community groups can now apply for LEADER funding to support projects that help to grow the rural economy in their area. Grants are also available to boost tourism, by supporting cultural and heritage activities. LEADER is part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) and provides funding at a local level. The funding is managed by Local Action Groups (LAGs) and projects must contribute to one or more of the 6 LEADER priorities, which are:
• support micro and small businesses and farm diversification
• boost rural tourism
• increase farm productivity
• increase forestry productivity
• provide rural service
• provide cultural and heritage activities
For more details about the rural Peterborough and Rutland LEADER project, please visit: www.leaderfunding.co.uk
Opportunity Peterborough is an economic development company whose objective is to drive forward sustainable economic growth in Peterborough and help the city to achieve its ambition of creating the UK’s Environment Capital. Originally established in 2005 as an Urban Regeneration Company, Opportunity Peterborough is today a not-for-profit economic development company wholly owned by Peterborough City Council. Its key objectives are;
• To generate economic growth through inward investment
• To assert Peterborough’s credentials as a sustainable, business-friendly environment
• To create economic conditions that allow local businesses and communities to achieve their ambitions
• Deliver strong, visible marketing programmes that result in high value business investment enquiries for the city
• To create a vibrant and attractive city centre at the heart of a bigger and better Peterborough
