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Rural community led local development

The Aberdeenshire Local Action Group is offering advice and support opportunities for:

  • Community groups wishing to develop new routes and paths in their local areas
  • Business planning and financial consultancy support for third sector organisations, social enterprises and local charities 

These schemes are closed to new applications.

View the community led local development privacy notice (PDF 129KB).

Community path and route development

Community groups can benefit from specialist active travel and path development consultancy, in order to develop new routes in their area.

Groups will be offered around 10 to 15 days support from a consultant to develop a selection of the following:

  • Identifying and undertaking option appraisals/feasibility studies on selected routes
  • Path survey and design work, including drawings and specifications
  • Cost reports and estimates, including bills of quantities
  • Preparing, issuing and evaluating tender documents
  • Engineering studies (such as bridge design, drainage)
  • Mapping work using GIS where required (such as production of route maps)
  • Negotiation with landowners and drafting landowner agreements
  • Planning advice and the submission of planning applications (planning fees would not be part of the contract)

Paths must be located within Aberdeenshire, excluding areas within the Cairngorms National Park.

Business planning and financial consultancy

Business planning and financial consultancy support is available to third sector organisations, social enterprises and local charities.

The exact nature of support will be determined by each organisation, but could include:

  • Analysing current operations and business models
  • Assessing expenditure and making recommendations for efficiency savings
  • Identifying opportunities for increasing revenue
  • Assessing and analysing staffing resource and structure
  • Making recommendations for investment and identifying funding or finance opportunities
  • Developing and preparing organisational or project business plans
  • Developing and preparing business cases for specific projects
  • Providing general advice on operations, finance, management

The consultant will provide a fixed number of days support (up to 10) to each selected organisation between November 2024 and March 2025.

Organisations must be located within Aberdeenshire, excluding areas within the Cairngorms National Park.

Contact

If you have any queries, please contact us at externalfunding@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.