Project start and implementation
Have you received an approved Leader project? How fun! Congratulations!
Below is advice and things to consider during project start and implementation.
We do it together!
Once the LAG board has decided to prioritize your particular project idea, and you have submitted the project application to the Swedish Board of Agriculture, you can start working! This is done at your own risk as it is always the Swedish Board of Agriculture's start notice that is the final decision, but you can start counting your time in the project from the day your application is submitted to My Pages on the Swedish Board of Agriculture's website.
The project is yours, you are responsible for the implementation and the final report, but we are there for you throughout the process with support, follow-up, thoughts and reflections. We do it together!
Below we have developed various steps and processes within At start announcement and When the project is underway which it is good for you to keep track of and stay updated about.
Please read everything in its entirety from the beginning, and go into detail about the part of the process you are in right now.
At start announcement
Apply for an advance
You can apply for an advance payment as soon as you have received your decision on support.
You can receive up to 50 percent of your support in advance, but a maximum of SEK 250,000. Part of the amount comes from the EU and part from Sweden. You can receive an advance of the part that comes from Sweden at most. The amount is stated in your decision on support.
When you apply for an advance, you do not need to report any expenses. Therefore, you must instead report the expenses for this amount when you apply for the final payment.
Government agencies, regions and municipalities cannot apply for advance payments.
Separate accounting
The second you start receiving costs for your project, it is important that you establish a plan for your separate accounting.
Your project's funds, income and expenses must not be mixed up with other funds that you have in your business. Make sure to have your own cost center with your own project number where it is clear what the project's budget is and how these have been used. You must be able to show that the project had its own cost centers.
Logos and communication
The EU logo should always be present and with certain specific requirements when you inform or communicate about your project/investment in various ways. To ensure that the post is visible on your social media where you inform about the project, you can put a "pinned" post with the EU logo and information about the project. All of this is also stated in the Swedish Board of Agriculture's decision on support. For examples, see Idériket Umeåregionen 2030 Facebook and Instagram.
Remember! If you use the EU logo incorrectly, you may receive financial deductions afterwards.
Budget partial payments
All payments can only be applied for afterwards! Therefore, make sure to have a good financial picture already when the project starts, and have a plan for when you will apply for payments for your expenses continuously. Collect all invoices and proof of payments in one place, to easily get an overview when it is time to submit these.
The tip is to apply for partial payments often. This is both to constantly get funds back, but also so that if something is deemed incorrect in your application by the Swedish Board of Agriculture, you can fix it quickly and for a small amount, instead of when too much time has passed.
Register volunteer hours
Projects require the participation of non-profit organizations. The benchmark is that it should be at least 10% of the project's budget.
Therefore, remember to write down your volunteer hours from day 1. It is important that it is clear:
* Who did something?
* When it's done
* What is done
* Contact information (phone number/email) for those mentioned
Avoid deductions
If guidelines, decisions and rules are not followed, project implementers may risk budget deductions as a sanction.
Here are some tips on how you can avoid deductions.
- Submit your payment application on time
- Submit your application for installment payments frequently, to learn often and have low risks
- Pay expenses on time
- Only report expenses that can be linked to the project's activities
- Use the EU logo as per the aid decision
- Keep track of permits and separate accounting
- Contact us at the operations office if you are unsure about anything, we are here for you!
When the project is underway
If something in the project changes
If something changes during the course of the project, it is important that you quickly contact us at the leader office Idériket Umeåregionen 2030. You will then need to apply for a change to your decision on support to the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
Changes can be things like
- Change of purpose and/or goal
- Project end date needs to be changed
- Budget changes
- Financing plan with less money in/more money in
- Anything else that significantly changes the nature of the project
This is changed through a form to the leader office.
If you do not submit an amendment application and still report expenses or carry out activities that were not stated in your decision on support, the Swedish Board of Agriculture may decide to give you a sanction in the form of a deduction. Therefore, it is important that these amendments are approved before the expenses or activities are carried out.
If the Leader Office or the Swedish Board of Agriculture has granted your application for amendment, the amendment will apply from the date your application for amendment was received by the Leader Office.
Be a source of inspiration!
The program period extends between 2023 – 2027
During this time, we of course want to brag about all the fantastic projects being carried out in our rural areas.
Remember to take pictures/film when you do any kind of activity. It's also good for documenting your work!
Please contact us at the operations office when you have something special in mind. If possible, we will be happy to come to you and take part in what you are going to do.
Tag us!
Tag us on social media so we can spread your posts. Make it clear that you are implementing a Leader project!
Remember to include the EU logo and our Idériket logo on everything you communicate.
Enjoy and reflect
Running projects can be insanely intense. Sometimes you just do a lot, without really stopping and taking in what's happening.
Our advice is therefore to give yourself some extra time together from time to time. Take a step back, create some distance and reflect on what you have achieved so far, where you are right now in the process, and what is coming next. Try to enjoy the project time from time to time! What you are doing is a difference, development, something you can brag about for a long time to come. It is powerful.
