How LEADER funds reach your project

LEADER uses a bottom-up Community-Led Local Development (CLLD) approach. Local Action Groups (LAGs) have real decision-making power — they select projects, manage contracts, and monitor delivery within their area.

EAFRDReg. (EU) 2021/2115€250m: €70m transitional 2021–22 + €180m 2023–27

How the money reaches an organisation

Every level here can be asked for its own process map. That is the point of yours.

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European Commission — DG AGRI / EAFRD

Approves Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027 under Reg. (EU) 2021/2115

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Dept. of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)

Managing Authority and Paying Agency for Ireland's full CAP Strategic Plan

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Dept. of Rural & Community Development & the Gaeltacht (DRCDG)

Contracting Authority with delegated Paying Agency functions for the LEADER measure

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Pobal (on behalf of DRCDG)

Conducts Article 48 administrative checks on all LAG expenditure claims

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Local Action Groups (LAGs) — 29 across Ireland

Select projects, manage contracts, monitor delivery within their rural sub-region

👉 Your organisation sits at this level

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Project Implementers

Businesses, farmers, community groups, social enterprises applying under thematic calls

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Final Beneficiaries

Rural communities, entrepreneurs, farm families, community organisations

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Audit Chain

ECA → OLAF → C&AG → DAFM → DRCDG → Pobal (Art. 48 checks) → LAGs → Implementers

Process maps under this programme

LEADERTo put rural development money in the hands of the people who live there — so that what gets built is what the area asked for, decided locally rather than in Dublin or Brussels.

Where this came from

2023–2027 LEADER Programme Operating Rules, version 8 — Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Circular 09-2024 and later updates

Read against the source on 2026-09-02.

What that check changed: The €250m is now shown as what it is: €70m of transitional money for 2021–22 plus €180m for 2023–27.