Scotland: National Rural Network
Connecting Rural Scotland - Promoting Rural Growth

Scotland Rural Development Programme

The Scotland Rural Development Programme (SRDP) is a £1.6 billion programme of economic, environmental and social measures designed to develop rural Scotland until 2013.The SRDP brings together a wide range of formerly separate support schemes including those covering the farming, forestry and primary processing sectors, rural enterprise and business development, diversification and rural tourism. It includes measures to support and encourage rural communities and delivers the LEADER initiative for local innovation in rural areas.

Measures are delivered through:

• Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme - The Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme (CCAGS) provides assistance towards improving the viability of rural business on crofts and similar scale agricultural holdings in the Crofting Counties, and to achieve other benefits such as improved animal health and welfare.
• Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation Grant Scheme - The Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation (FPMC) is designed to promote sustainable and profitable food production throughout Scotland by ensuring that Scottish food manufacturers and retailers are equipped to respond to change.
• Forestry Commission Challenge Funds - The "Woodlands In and Around Towns" and "Forestry for People" Challenge Funds operate across Scotland and aim to improve the condition of existing woodlands for the benefit of local people.
• The LEADER initiative - LEADER is a bottom-up method of delivering support for rural development through implementing a local rural development strategy. Support is aimed primarily at small-scale, community driven projects that are pilot and innovative in nature.
• Less Favoured Area Support Scheme - The Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) aims to contribute to the maintenance of the countryside, and viable rural communities, by ensuring continued agricultural land use and maintaining and promoting sustainable farming systems in the most disadvantaged areas of Scotland.
• Rural Development Contracts - Land Managers Options - Land Manangers Options (LMO)are non competitive and open to all land managers in Scotland. It provides support for the provision of economic, social and environmental improvements across Scotland.
• Rural Development Contracts - Rural Priorities - Rural Priorities is competitive programme to deliver targeted environmental, social and economic benefits.
• Skills Development Scheme - This scheme offers support towards the development and delivery of group skills development initiatives for land managers (including farmers, crofters and foresters).