LEADER Programme

Local Rural Development

The LEADER Programme is financed through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). Since its inception in 1991, the European Community initiative LEADER became widely recognised as having been a successful and innovative pilot instrument to mobilise local actors in a bottom-up, territorial and integrated approach to pursue local development in rural areas.

The term ‘LEADER’ originally came from the French acronym for "Liaison Entre Actions de Développement de l'Économie Rurale", meaning 'Links between the rural economy and development actions'.

The main objectives of the programme are:

1. to support small-scale community projects which are innovative in nature;
    
2. to increase capacity of local rural community and business networks to build knowledge and skills;
    
3. to encourage innovation and cooperation in order to tackle local development objectives.

Projects funded through LEADER are expected to lead to improving the quality of life and increasing prosperity in rural areas.

A distinctive feature of LEADER compared to other EU funding opportunities is that funding priorities are decided based on a local needs analysis per territory. In Malta there are three territories, each covering a number of localities:

• Gozo, covering the whole island of Gozo;
   
• Xlokk, covering the south-east area of Malta;
   
• Majjistral, covering the north-west of Malta.

Each territory has its own Local Action Group which manages LEADER funding for its respective territory. For each territory, the funding priorities are listed in a Local Development Strategy.

In terms of the financing mechanism, LEADER provides grants that cover a percentage of eligible costs, usually set at 80%.

The LEADER programme is open to legal entities such as non-governmental organisations, businesses, and local councils. Individuals are also eligible for certain calls.