Search project support

Step 1

Discuss the idea with us

Okay, now you have read about the Leader method, you have found a project support that fits and you have tested your idea with our checklist. If you now feel that the project fits with us at Leader, it is time to start the application. The first step is to contact us at the Leader office and use us as a sounding board. We will go through the idea and ask questions to create as clear and concrete a project idea as possible. We are also happy to help you with budget questions. 

Have you already been in contact with our Leader office and feel confident about your idea? Jump to step 2!

Step 2

Arrange a power of attorney

In order to represent an organization or association and make an application, you need to have a power of attorney. There you can check which tasks the power of attorney will apply to, for example to change bank account and contact details in the Swedish Board of Agriculture's e-service. The easiest way is to check all options so that those possibilities are available if you need them during the project's course.

When the form is filled out, it is time to send it to the Swedish Board of Agriculture. The address is on the form. It takes about a week before the power of attorney is registered. Only after that can you make an application.

If you are applying for support for a sole proprietorship, you do not need a power of attorney. Move on to the next step!

Step 3

Write application

There you go! Now you can log in to the Swedish Board of Agriculture's e-service. That is where you will write your application. You can access it by going to agriculturalagency.se and log in to ”My pages” with your Bank-ID. You will need to select the organization you will represent. If you do not see the organization you represent, the power of attorney has not yet taken effect. For a sole proprietorship, you should choose the option ”Myself.”. 

You will also need to choose a focus area, where you select the one of our various project supports that best fits the project. Ask us at the Leader office if you are unsure how to choose.

The application consists of a number of questions that you should answer. You should also choose a good name for the project, preferably short and creative! We will use the name when we inform the public about the project, so it is worth considering. The name cannot be changed afterwards.

For your application, you need to attach:

• A budget that shows what expenses will be in the project. Use the budget template below. For all the expenses you are seeking support for, you should also attach quotes and other cost documentation. – you simply must show how you arrived at the amounts. The expenses should be reasonable. Therefore, you should also show which price or prices you have compared to find the most cost-effective options.

• A liquidity certificate. It is to show that your association/organization/company has sufficient finances to carry out the project, for example, bank statements, balance sheets, or loan promises. The support is paid out afterwards, which means that you need to be able to cover the costs upfront.
• If any permits are needed, you also need to send documentation for that. There may also be other important documents that should be sent, such as minutes or drawings. Unsure about what needs to be sent? Ask us!

When you press the button ”Review and submit,” the application will also come to us at the Leader office.

Step 4

Make the necessary changes

When the application has reached us at the Leader office, we will process it. We will give you feedback and let you know if you need to add or clarify anything. It takes different amounts of time for different projects to get the application fully completed.

When the office assesses that you have included everything that needs to be in the application, it is time for a decision. Our board has decision meetings approximately every three months. You will be invited to pitch your idea, which means that you get to present the project to the board and answer their questions during the meeting.

Step 5

Time for decision

We will notify you of the board's decision as soon as we can. If the board has approved project support from us, we at the office will continue to process the application. Then it is the Swedish Board of Agriculture that makes the formal decision. It may take a long time due to lengthy processing times at the Swedish Board of Agriculture. Ask us at the office if you want to know what the waiting times look like there right now.

If you want to get started earlier, it is fine to start the project before the Swedish Board of Agriculture has made its formal decision – but this is done at your own risk. Ask us at the office if you want to know how it works.

We will also invite you to a training session where we go through what you need to know. We will talk about the decision, how the application for payment works, logo rules you must follow, and other important information. Don't forget that we are just a call away to answer any questions that may arise along the way.

If, however, the answer is no from the board, you will receive a written justification. A rejection does not mean that the board thinks the idea is bad. It may be because the idea does not meet our goals, or that the project's working methods are not permeated by the Leader method. There are other places you can apply for project support to move forward with your idea. You can also rethink and apply for another idea in the future, now that you know more about why it was a rejection.