The following information has been provided to help you understand if you are eligible to apply for grant assistance towards your project from the Rural Down Partnership's LEADER+ Programme.

Core Criteria
The Rural Down Partnership has established core criteria as a basis for evaluating project applications. All applicants must demonstrate that their project can fulfil these criteria.

Your project should:

• Be located within the Rural Down Partnership geographical area i.e. the rural wards of Ards, Banbridge and Down Council areas.
• Relate to the central theme of 'Improving the Quality of Life in Rural Areas'.
• Contribute to the objectives and performance targets of the Rural Down Partnership's business plan.
• Be at concept stage i.e. has not commenced.
• Be genuinely additional and will not cause displacement in the area.
• Not be suitable for funding from any other EU source.
• Currently employ ten persons or less.
• Comply with all existing environmental legislation.
• Comply with all existing state-aid legislation.
• Be private sector based i.e. not conventional retail or distributive services whose survival is determined by competitive forces.
• Have at least obtained outline approval if planning permission is required.

Assessment Criteria
If your project fulfils the core criteria and is deemed eligible, it will then be scored against the following assessment criteria.

Your project should:

• Sustain/create jobs (high weighting given to job creation).
• Target priority groups (women, young people, farmers and farm families, long-term unemployed).
• Be innovative in process/sector/area.
• Meet an identified need.
• Be sustainable - physically, socially and environmentally.
• Target deprived areas.
• Have a positive environmental impact.
• Be transferable i.e. can be used as a model.

As an applicant, you should:

• Have a good track record and experience.
• Possess the appropriate skills and resources to manage and advance the project.

Innovation
Innovation is a key principle of the LEADER+ Programme. You must clearly demonstrate how your project is innovative i.e. how the project is particularly new or creative. For example creative approaches to project design could involve some of the following:

• Introduction of a new idea, method or invention.
• New products or services distinctive to the local area.
• New ways to develop local potential.
• New ways of combining the area's human, natural or financial resources resulting in the better use of local potential.

You must also show that there is a market for the proposed product or service and that the project will be capable of attaining economic viability. Your project must also demonstrate its ability to sustain or create new jobs.

Ineligible Expenditure
The LEADER+ Programme will not provide grant assistance towards any part of a project, which it considers to be ineligible expenditure as noted in the list below. This is not an exhaustive list and other limitations may apply within each sector.

• Community or statutory sectors.
• Conventional retail and distributive services such as restaurants, shops, garages and hairdressing.
• Businesses in the urban areas of Ballynahinch, Banbridge, Comber, Downpatrick, Newcastle and Newtownards.
• Primary agricultural production or related activities e.g. purchase of livestock, milk recording, poultry or egg projects including projects grant-aided under the Operational Programme for Agriculture, Rural Development and Forestry.
• Purchase of land and buildings.
• Working capital including stock.
• Movable equipment.
• Salaries of existing employees and running costs.
• General purpose storage facilities.