Funding

Moray LEADER and Windswept Brewing Co have been working in cooperation with Belgian farming and brewing partners to develop a new product line, which will be brewed with ingredients grown in Moray. The project is funded through Moray LEADER and GAL Burdinale-Mehaigne; a LEADER territory in Wallonia, Belgium.

The project aims to create a short supply chain between locally based farmers and breweries. The aim is to enhance product and produce value and reduce carbon emissions to help create sustainable locally economies.

A project which aims to keep calves with their mothers for longer is among those that will share more than £340,000 of investment.

Awarded through the Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund (KTIF), the new funding will drive forward innovation in farming and food production and help businesses shift to a low carbon climate-resistant economy.

The Rare Invertebrates in the Cairngorms (RIC) project has won a UK National Parks Volunteer Award. TV presenter and explorer Paul Rose presented project officer Gabrielle Flinn with the award at the Kendal Mountain Festival in November.  The awards were sponsored by Columbia Sportswear.

On Thursday 5^th December, over 150 guests gathered at GG’s Yard, the rural venue of excellence, near Gatehouse of Fleet for the Dumfries & Galloway LEADER Rural Awards 2019. The event, hosted by Cathy Agnew on behalf of the Dumfries & Galloway LEADER Local Action Group, was set up to celebrate the achievements of local projects funded by the 2014 - 2020 LEADER Programme Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.

The Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) is now open for applications.

Help and funding is available for communities, charities, local authorities, housing associations and rural businesses looking to install renewables and get local energy projects up and running.

The third round of the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund (RTIF) is now open for applications.

Tourists sites in rural Scotland are being encouraged to apply for a share of £3 million funding. RTIF aims to help tourist attractions and their communities deal with the impact of increased visitor numbers on local infrastructure by helping with improvements like parking areas, visitor facilities and recycling points.

The date for the next Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund (KTIF) Project Assessment Committee (PAC) has been set for Tuesday 4 February 2020.

If you are interested in applying you should visit the Rural Payments and Services website for full information including the latest guidance to be followed when applying. The KTIF scheme is part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme. 

The fourth round of funding from the Connect Local Regional Food Fund (RFF) is currently open for applications.

The Connect Local RFF is a grant to support growth in Scotland's local/regional food and drink sector.

The fund will support projects and initiatives in Scotland which celebrate and promote locally sources and produced food and drink, in line with the priorities of Ambition 2030.