User:Bishop Allen/Scotland Rural Development Programme

The SRDP is a £1.6 billion programme designed to help develop rural Scotland. The programme is spread over six years and provides help and support to individuals, and groups, in order to help create a wealthier and fairer rural Scotland.

Some of the closed agriculture schemes will now be replaced by new 'funding packages,' operated by the SRDP. The SRDP also brings together a wide range of formerly separate support schemes in areas such as: farming, forestry, rural enterprise and business development.

The scheme is designed to help meet national economic, social and environmental targets; and it is hoped that the scheme will be of great benefit to rural communities.

Some of the SRDP schemes and initiatives include:

Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation Grant Scheme Forestry Commission Challenge Funds The LEADER initiative Less Favoured Area Support Scheme Rural Development Contracts Skills Development Scheme

An information pack is available which further outlines the purpose of the SRDP.

Further information is also available on the SRDP web page.