2024 LEADER Call for Applications
Call Title: Traditional Skills Training Supports
Call Overview: Training supports will be offered to communities to promote traditional and lost skills locally such as hedge laying, thatching, boat building, dry stone wall construction, wood carving, and ironmongery as well as general re-use, repair and recycling skills.
Call Type: Targeted Call
Timeline: Expressions of Interest to be received by January 31st, 2025. CLDC will hold an info session on Tuesday 7th Jan at 6pm at the CLDC offices, Westgate Business Park, Kilrush Road, Ennis V95 PXY3
LDS Theme: 3. Sustainable Development of the Rural Environment and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
LDS Sub Themes: 3b. Climate Change Capacity Building
LDS Objectives: Best Practice in Sustainable Development
Call Allocation: €80,000
Maximum Funding: €30,000 per project
Minimum Funding: €5,000 per project
Rate of Aid: Training up to 100%
Target Geographic Area: County Clare
Overview:
This call has been designed to encourage community organisations to develop training programmes locally that will equip participants with the knowledge and skills required to empower them to contribute to sustainable development in their communities.
Eligible Applicants:
Community development organisations, local environmental groups, tidy towns, men’s/women’s sheds.
Eligible Activities:
The nature of this call is to support the upskilling of communities with lost traditional skills which could have an impact on sustainable development activities locally. The types of traditional skills required would allow further building, making and mending activities in local communities.
This is an example of the types of practical skills training projects that are eligible in this call:
hedge laying, thatching, boat building, dry stone wall construction, wood carving/woodturning, and ironmongery, basket weaving, soap making, sewing skills, blacksmithing and tapestry weaving, white washing, gate making – any general crafts.
Support to Make an Application:
Advice, mentoring, support will be available to applicants from LEADER staff to complete an EOI. Applicants who have their EOI approved at Phase 1 and are eligible to proceed with a full application to Phase 2, will be invited to complete the full application form – support will be provided with the application process.
Call Process
This will be a two-stage process.
Stage 1: Expression of Interest
Applicants will initially complete an Expression of Interest form. This will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Does the project comply with eligibility criteria as set out in the Local Development Strategy?
- Does the project comply with eligibility criteria as set out in the LEADER Operating Rules?
- Does the project comply with the Call Criteria?
If deemed eligible, applicants will be invited to Stage 2 to submit a Full Application.
Stage 2: Full Application
Projects will be evaluated by the Independent Evaluation Committee following submission of fully completed applications, accompanied by all supporting documentation as required for the project. Full applications will be evaluated based on the following scoring criteria – projects must received a minimum score of 65.
| Q | Assessment Criteria | Objective | Weighting | Score | |
| 1 | Has project development officer report indicated that any documentation / information requested has not been provided by the project promoter(s) | Ensure that the project promoter has provided all the required information / documentation requested by project development officer to progress this project. |
N/A |
Pass | Fail |
| 2 | Displacement | Does the project comply with displacement requirements? |
N/A |
Pass | Fail |
| 3 | Compatibility with Local Development Strategy (LDS) | Do the project proposals meet the criteria set out in the LAG’s LDS for the relevant measure? | 20 | ||
| 4 | Innovation | Is the project innovative in its nature? | 20 | ||
| 5 | Project Promoter experience | Does the promoter have the training/skills, track record or experience to deliver? | 10 | ||
| 6 | Financial Viability | Do the proposed actions and associated costs appear reasonable and represent value for money? | 10 | ||
| 7 | Sustainability | Is the project viable and will the service continue to be delivered? | 20 | ||
| 8 | Requirement | Does the proposal target a specific need or address a specific gap in the market? | 20 | ||
| 9 | Deadweight | Would the project proceed without LEADER funding? | Pass Fail | ||
In making final decisions on funding, the LAG will give priority to the projects that can demonstrate strong potential for positive environmental and social inclusion impacts.
Should there be more projects that score above the minimum evaluation criteria set out, the projects will be ranked in order of their overall score until the funding is allocated.
This is a competitive application process with a limited fund. Projects that score above the minimum score criteria will not be guaranteed funding. Subject to Departmental approval, LEADER grant offers will be issued following the final decision of approval by the LAG. There will be an appeals process for unsuccessful applicants.
Further queries contact Leader@cldc.ie