LEADER
Topic

LEADER

LEADER is the EU’s participatory and bottom-up approach to involve rural people in community led local development through local strategies, local projects, and decision-making processes.

Latest news

Rural businesswoman working in the countryside
18 Mar 2025

Smart Rural 27: outcomes and recommendations

The final report of the Smart Rural 27 project clearly underlines the importance of LEADER as the main tool to implement Smart Villages in many Member States.

  • CAP Implementation
La petite conserverie project in France, LEADER-funded winner at ARIA 2024
18 Mar 2025

ARIA 2024 prize winners showcase LEADER’s inspirational value

LEADER co-financed ten out of the 24 finalists of ARIA 2024 across all the award categories, including some of the winners, thus showing its potential to support a wide range of CAP objectives.

  • CAP Implementation
Hiking trail in Luxembourg
17 Mar 2025

Demonstrating LEADER’s added value: new assessment tool in Luxembourg

A new simple tool co-designed by the Managing Authority and Local Action Groups in Luxembourg demonstrates the added value LEADER can produce.

  • CAP Implementation
  • Evaluation

Upcoming events

Latest publications

Cowo-Cat rural coworking space in Spain funded by the CAP (copyright: Cowo_Cat)
Policy Insights |

Revitalising rural Europe: Success stories from the Rural Inspiration Awards 2019

From strengthening digital and societal connections to helping adapt to remote working, some of the finalists of the Rural Inspiration Awards 2019 are still breathing life into rural areas.

  • CAP Implementation
LEADER TNC - a practical guide
Guidelines and tools |

LEADER TNC - a practical guide

The EU CAP Network has created a practical guide that aims to provide advice, tips for planning and step-by-step implementation of LEADER TNC projects under the CAP Strategic Plans (CSP) 2023-2027.

  • CAP Implementation
Thematic Evaluation LEADER 2014-2020
Member State Evaluation |

Thematic Evaluation on LEADER

This thematic evaluation aims to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and relevance of the LEADER approach with the aim to promote economic, social, and environmental development in rural areas in Malta.

  • Evaluation

Latest good practice

Five different professional cleaning equipment machines
A group of women listening to a talk by a female speaker in the project building
Local people's ideas written and drawn on a large piece of paper at a community consultation event