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What is West Kent Leader?
West Kent Leader is a new source of funding available to farmers, growers, foresters, rural businesses and communities to help secure a sustainable future for rural West Kent.
The £1.8 million of West Kent Leader grant funding is made available under the Rural Development Programme for England 2007-2013 (RDPE) and is funded by Defra and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and administered by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).
Leader funding can help you to:
- Diversify into new enterprises.
- Add value and develop new products and markets.
- Develop renewable energy projects.
- Improve the returns from forestry.
- Collaborate with others to develop new business opportunities.
- Develop new skills.
- Improve your financial and environmental sustainability.
- Support rural communities and micro businesses.
The West Kent Leader Programme has an over arching principle - to promote sustainable business growth within the land based and rural economies in the area. Investment through the Leader Programme is intended to improve the long term viability of businesses and to reduce their reliance on future support funding. Leader will help add value and ensure and enhance sustainable development.
West Kent Leader’s key objectives are to:
- Improve competitiveness and financial sustainability of West Kent’s farming and forestry
- Encourage innovation and diversification in West Kent’s land based sector
- Promote entrepreneurship in rural West Kent
- Encourage the development of rural tourism-related businesses
- Address pockets of deprivation and encourage vibrant rural communities
- Ensure best practice in land management and promote sustainable development