European Issues
West Dunbartonshire is within the Lowlands & Uplands Scotland (LUPS) programme area under the current 2007 – 2013 European structural funds programme. The LUPS programme comprises both European Social Funding (ESF) and European Regional Development Funding (ERDF).
ESF funds provide grants to support for individuals and companies, for example in the form of employability and vocational training projects.
ERDF funds provide grants for example to support companies and for infrastructure projects.
JESSICA
The JESSICA programme is another potential source of European funding in the form of loans rather than grants. Loan repayments will be recycled by JESSICA to offer a more sustained form of support than is available from grant schemes. JESSICA is expected to be launched in autumn of 2011.
For more information on the structural funds click on the links below
http://www.esep.co.uk/
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/support/17404
LEADER Funding
LEADER is a European funding programme for rural development. In Scotland, it is a mainstream part of the Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) 2007-2013, established to provide a bottom up form of local governance aimed at empowering communities to develop their own area using innovative approaches and cooperation. Funding is awarded to Local Action Groups (LAGs) to take decisions on projects which are community driven and have a wide community benefit.
West Dunbartonshire is part of the Forth Valley and Lomond Local Action Group (FVL LAG), that will consider awarding LEADER funding to community led projects that aim to “improve the quality of life In Forth Valley and Lomond through revitalised communities and enhanced natural environments” and reside within the Forth Valley and Lomond LEADER eligible areas.
In West Dunbartonshire, projects that reside in Balloch, Haldane and Gartocharn may be eligible to apply for LEADER funding through the Forth Valley and Lomond LAG area. Target groups are inclusive however, including LEADER aims to assist the following groups including women; young people; small and micro-businesses and the under-employed. In some cases however, people from an eligible area carrying out activity in an ineligible area could be a fundable project.
For more information eligibility for LEADER funding and to access an initial enquiry form, visit www.fvl.org.uk
