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LEADER

LEADER is one of the most popular and recognizable rural development tools, used in Europe for more than 30 years. It is designed to help involve rural inhabitants in a bottom-up process of decision-making and action to improve their quality of life. In this method, the local community is the most important actor in the process.

The name LEADER is an acronym and derives from the French phrase - Liaison Entre Actions de Développement de l’Économie Rurale - which means Links between activities for the development of the rural economy.

The LEADER method is based on seven principles:

  1. Bottom-up approach (broad participation of the rural community in the creation and implementation of the strategy)
  2. Area-based approach (local development strategy prepared for a coherent area)
  3. The local partnership  (local action group as a local partnership involving various entities from the public, social and economic sectors)
  4. An integrated and multi-sectoral strategy (combining different economic fields, cooperation of different interest groups)
  5. Decentralization of management and funding
  6. Innovation (introducing new ideas, solutions, and approaches to rural development)
  7. Cooperation & networking (exchange of experience and promotion of good practices)

Find out more about the seven principles of the LEADER approach

Local action groups (LAGs) are partnerships consisting of public, private, and civil sectors within rural areas, focused on driving development through the LEADER approach. Local people and organizations actively participate in shaping and implementing local development strategies. By involving rural representatives in decision-making and resource allocation, LAGs empower rural communities to overcome challenges and create a more resilient, sustainable future for rural areas.

LEADER / Community Led-Local Development (CLLD), supported by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, is one of the interventions in the Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy for 2023-2027. The intervention is aimed at building rural identity based on social activation and using local resources in a way that best meets the needs of rural communities, including through the use of knowledge, innovation and digital solutions.

The scope of intervention support in Poland includes:

1.            Development of entrepreneurship, including the development of bioeconomy or green economy, in particular:

  • Establishment of non-agricultural economic activity by individuals,
  • Development of non-agricultural economic activities.

2.            Development of non-agricultural functions of small farms in the establishment or development

  •  Agrotourism farms,
  • Educational farms,
  • Care farms.

3.            Development of cooperation through the creation or development of short supply chains

4.            Improving access to services for local communities, excluding infrastructure investments and operations in the scopes listed in points 1-3

5.            Preparation of a smart village concept

6.            Improving access to small public infrastructure

7.            Formation of civic awareness of the importance of sustainable agriculture, agri-food economy, green economy, bio-economy, support for the development of knowledge and skills in innovation, digitization or entrepreneurship, as well as strengthening education programmes for leaders of public and social life, excluding infrastructure investments.

8.            Social inclusion of seniors, young people or disadvantage people

9.            Protection of the cultural and natural heritage of the Polish countryside

10.         Preparation of partnership projects.

In Poland, 297 local development strategies have been chosen for implementation by LAGs under the 2023-2027 Strategic Plan for the CAP. CLLD is implemented in ten Polish voivodeships: kujawsko-pomorskie, lubuskie, małopolskie, podkarpackie, podlaskie, pomorskie, śląskie, świętokrzyskie, wielkopolskie and zachodniopomorskie, with LAGs using funds not only from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development but also from the Cohesion Policy Funds – European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund PLUS. There are almost 190 multi-fund LAGs, including 8 urban LAGs.

In order to improve the implementation of the LEADER approach, The Agricultural Advisory Center in Brwinów has established Thematic Group on LEADER approach. Its’ purpose is to share knowledge and facilitate cooperation between the entities involved in implementing the intervention.