Welcome to the Scottish Borders LEADER website

Welcome to the Scottish Borders LEADER Programme 2007 – 2013 website. The Scottish Borders LEADER Programme has a budget of £2.42m to support locally-driven projects in the Scottish Borders.  LEADER is a fund created by the EU and the Scottish Government. It takes its main aims from the ‘Scottish Rural Development Programme 2007 – 2013′.   The aim of LEADER is to fund projects of a pilot nature which address local issues using innovative and sustainable methods. 

On this website you can find out how the LEADER Programme works, what sorts of projects LEADER funds, who can apply and for how much.

Latest News

Rural broadband funding

Funding has become available through LEADER for small-scale, community driven projects in rural areas which will improve coverage and bring faster broadband to rural communities.  Expressions of Interest are now invited from communities and/or groups of businesses to apply for LEADER to fund their Rural Broadband project.  The deadline for Expressions of Interest is 30 July 2010. Please contact the LEADER Coordinator as soon as possible for more detail. 

Community Services and Facilities (CSF), Local Development Strategies under review

Projects which fit these critera should continue to follow Rural Priorities guidance and timescales, in consultation with Case Officers. We expect details on the arrangements for future applications and assessments to be available shortly.