Test your idea

We work with three areas of intervention where we can grant project support. These are: An attractive countryside, Entrepreneurship in rural areas, and An engaged and inclusive civil society. You can read more about them on our strategy page.

 To be granted a leader project, it is important to have a bottom-up perspective, i.e., that the ideas come from us who live and work in the area and that the need exists locally. We know that it is we who live and work here who see the challenges and also have the solutions to them.

All leader projects should create development in the area. Unfortunately, you cannot receive leader support for regular operations such as operation and maintenance or already existing activities.

It should be something that leads to new development and new activities in the area. Please consult the leader office if you are unsure where your idea fits and if it is innovative.

To be granted a leader project, collaboration is important. In the association Leader Spira Mare, we collaborate across the boundaries between the public, private, and non-profit sectors; we strive for all projects to also have active collaboration between organizations within at least two of these sectors. Therefore, start by investigating whether the need for the project exists among others in the area with whom you can collaborate; perhaps an association, a company, or the municipality is interested in actively participating to make your idea a reality. Feel free to contact your municipality's rural developer; they have a large network and can connect you with others. Of course, you can also reach out to us at the office!

Sustainable development means that we meet today's needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. We should live in a way today that ensures future generations have the same opportunities as we do. Sustainable development includes the three dimensions of ecological/environmental sustainability, social sustainability, and economic sustainability. Sustainable development is a fundamental principle for Leader Spira Mare, and all projects should consider this when applying for and implementing projects.

This is an overarching principle for Leader Spira Mare. We will together counteract discrimination and promote equal rights and opportunities. No one should be prevented from influencing or participating in the project. Consider how your project can work to counteract discrimination. Feel free to contact us at the office to discuss ideas and get help.

For an application to be granted leader support, there needs to be capacity to implement the project. You need to have a project organization that takes responsibility for the project and ensures that it is carried out. You also need to think about and develop a proper activity plan so that you know what needs to be done and when it should be done. This will also facilitate the work of developing a budget for the project. Consider how any other co-financing can be secured and how you can plan the project to have the financial capacity to implement it. You can apply for an advance, but you need to know that you may have to cover the last 20% of your support until you have completed the final report and received approval on the final report. Contact us if you are unsure.

Project support is granted for ideas that are expected to have lasting results after the project period. Think together about how your idea can create impact and continue even after the project is completed.

All projects within Leader Spira Mare must include voluntary time and/or voluntary resources. This can be, for example, time spent voluntarily working on the project, facilities you can borrow at no cost to the project, or anything else that is not funded by the project. Our goal is for all projects to include 30% voluntary time and/or voluntary resources.