Applications open for fisheries projects funding
THE Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG) Programme is currently open for applications for 2019 projects.
If you have an idea for a project you can contact your local Bord Iascaigh Mhara Regional Officer or visit www.bim.ie/ schemes.
To be included in the first round of 2019 assessments it must be received by 5pm on Thursday the 31st of January 2019.
Founded in 2013 under the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) has gone from strength to strength.
In a major departure from previous fisheries funding programmes it involves a partnership approach between a state agency, in the form of BIM, and coastal communities to develop a Local Development Strategy (LDS) and allocate funding to implement that Strategy.
The community, as represented by individuals from various community, state and productive sectors, particularly the seafood sector, determine their own development priorities for local development through the LDS and then select the projects to implement that Strategy.
BIM handles the administration of the Programme through its network of regional officers and staff in head office including payment of grant claims.
The first iteration of the FLAG Programme ran from 2013-2016 under the EFF and saw 186 projects funded with a total investment of €1.5 million and grant aid of nearly €1 million.
The success of the Programme saw it retained in the replacement for the EFF, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), with an increase in total funding to €12 million under the Irish Seafood Operational Programme (OP).
2018 is set to become the most successful year yet for the Irish FLAGs seeing 285 projects approved with a total investment of over €6m and grant aid of over €4m in projects aimed at promoting or retaining employment in coastal communities and coastal tourism and fisheries.