As part of its ongoing monitoring of the implementation of the Rural Areas Action and Development Plan of the State of Baden-Württemberg (MEPL III), IfLS Beratung und Projekte GmbH conducted an ad hoc study on ways to simplify and expedite the LEADER funding process.
The timeframes between the selection of a LEADER funding project by the decision-making body of a Local Action Group and the final settlement with the funding recipient by the state’s paying agency vary greatly and can sometimes be quite long. Consequently, the question arose in Baden-Württemberg regarding ways to simplify and accelerate the process, as well as to examine internal procedures for potential optimization.
IfLS Beratung und Projekte GmbH investigated this issue and conducted a comparison of the LEADER funding process in Baden-Württemberg with the processes in Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia. Experiences from Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony were also included in the study. Through surveys of all approval bodies, the LEADER specialist departments, and the representatives of the Local Action Groups in the three federal states, strengths and weaknesses as well as examples of good practice were compiled, and recommendations for Baden-Württemberg were developed.
The results of the study were presented in Stuttgart in November 2023 as part of the annual exchange between the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Food, Rural Affairs, and Consumer Protection (MLR) and the Local Action Groups. In the ensuing discussion, Ministerial Director Grit Puchan, representatives of the department, and representatives of the Local Action Groups welcomed the study’s suggestions and recommendations. To select and implement specific recommendations, there are plans to establish a working group comprising representatives from the Ministry, the funding agencies, and the Local Action Groups.
The study is available for Download on the MLR website.
