SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE: 29 AUGUST 2012 AUDIT AND SCRUTINY COMMITTEE: 5 SEPTEMBER 2012 POLICY AND RESOURCES COMMITTEE: 6 SEPTEMBER 2012

OUTER HEBRIDES LEADER PROGRAMME

Report by Director of Development

PURPOSE OF REPORT To update the Comhairle on LEADER Innse Gall 2007-2013 and seek approval for a LEADER Programme 2014-2020 draft strategy.

COMPETENCE

1.1 There are no legal constraints to the recommendations being implemented.

1.2 Financial provisions for the additional over-commitment and the advancement of grants, as detailed within the report, will be made available from the Comhairle’s LEADER budget.

SUMMARY

2.1 LEADER is European Union funded and one of seven schemes within Scotland’s Rural Development Programme (SRDP) and aims to support small-scale innovative pilot projects, unique to a community. The LEADER Innse Gall Local Action Group (LAG) was awarded £3.26m of LEADER and Convergence funding in 2008 and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, as lead partner, administers the LEADER Programme in the Outer Hebrides. The LAG met on 28 June 2012 to allocate the remainder of LEADER funding available under the current Programme, in a competitive final funding round for applications.

2.2 The Comhairle is asked to homologate a management decision to approve an over-commitment of £52,135.37, equating to 5.09% of the budget, to ensure that that the Programme spends all LEADER and Convergence funding fully - and to homologate the decision to enable advances of grant to applicants to be paid in certain circumstances. Further detail is provided in the Report.

2.3 Comprehensive details of a range of LEADER Programme audits and the review methods adopted are outlined in the Report. The Comhairle is asked to note these and be aware of the associated risks of the Programme not being administered and managed properly.

2.4 The LAG intends to carry out an evaluation of the current Programme to-date, in order to inform the development of a new draft local LEADER strategy 2014-2020 - which the Comhairle is asked to endorse – in addition to agreeing to act as Lead Partner once again, in the event that participation in a new LEADER Programme is desirable.

RECOMMENDATIONS

3.1 It is recommended that the Comhairle agrees to:

(a) note LEADER Innse Gall’s success in allocating Programme funding fully; (b) homologate the decisions of the Director of Development and the Director of Finance and Corporate Resources, in consultation with the Chief Executive, to allow advances of LEADER Grant and to underwrite an over-commitment of 5.09% of the Programme budget; (c) note the review methods undertaken by Audit Scotland and all other audit agencies – along with the potential risks to the Comhairle as a consequence; (d) conduct an evaluation the current Programme in advance of creating a future strategy; (e) support the Local Action Group in the preparation of a LEADER strategy to secure funding in the next Rural Development Programme - 2014-2020; and (f) continue to act as Lead Partner for the Outer Hebrides, as appropriate, if a new local LEADER Programme 2014-2020 is considered desirable.

Contact Officer: Kathlene Macdonald, Outer Hebrides LEADER Co-ordinator, 211-285 Appendices: 1. LEADER Innse Gall – Geographical Funding Commitment 2. LEADER Innse Gall – List of Projects Approved Background Papers: LEADER Information-packs to be circulated to Members in advance. BACKGROUND

4.1 The LEADER Innse Gall (or Outer Hebrides LEADER) 2007-2013 Programme is part of Scotland’s Rural Development Programme (SRDP). In 2009 the LEADER Local Action Group (LAG) was awarded £3.26m of LEADER and Convergence funding to support small-scale innovative community-led projects. While a proportion of this funding was necessarily allocated to the administration and co-ordination of the local Programme - over £2.9m was awarded to 75 local projects between March 2009 and July 2012. Projects in all nine Comhairle Wards received funding and the distribution and detail of the awards are appended to this Report, both in graphic and tabular form.

4.2 All strategic decisions for LEADER Innse Gall are undertaken by the LEADER LAG, comprising representatives from a number of key agencies and organisations drawn from across the public, private and community/voluntary sectors. The current LAG Chairperson represents the Comhairle, as lead-partner, and is the Chairman of the Sustainable Development Committee. The LAG is the local Programme decision-making mechanism, though the Comhairle signed a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the Scottish Government to manage the local Programmes - including the risk of financial administration. The LEADER Innse Gall staff team comprises the LEADER Co-ordinator and an Administrator, both based in Stornoway and a Uist-based Field Officer who oversees Uists and Barra projects. The Co-ordinator and Administrator posts are fixed- term to March 2014, with the Field Officer post being contracted until December 2012.

4.3 Though the Programme work will be ongoing throughout 2013 the Scottish Government has instructed all 20 Scottish LEADER LAGs to commit all allocated funding as soon as possible and then concentrate on encouraging projects to spend-and-claim - as there is a positive effect of this strategy on the Government’s financial statement to the EU. In common with LEADER clients, the Comhairle can only claim defrayed payments from the Scottish Government - therefore applicants are encouraged to spend and submit claims to the LEADER team on a regular basis, allowing the Comhairle to reclaim defrayed expenditure from the Scottish Government on a Quarterly basis.

4.4 Although the local Programme has ceased to accept new applications, due to all funding being fully allocated, the LEADER Innse Gall team will focus on monitoring, reporting and the financial management of all LEADER grants to projects going forward. Staff will also continue to manage the Rural Broadband Challenge Fund (RBCF) and to process LEADER claims from projects involved in the Outer Hebrides Community Energy Fund.

LEADER (UNDER)SPEND AND PROGRAMME OVER-COMMITTMENT

5.1 It is essential that the Comhairle commits and spends its full LEADER and Convergence Scottish Government allocation, as failure to do so will almost-certainly result in negative implications with regard to the amount of similar funding the LAG may receive in future Programmes. From experience of previous LEADER Programmes and other grant schemes some projects will inevitably underspend. It is usually therefore imperative that Programme funding is over-committed to mitigate for this. Eighteen projects awarded LEADER funding totalling £309,628 have been fully completed to-date - reporting an average 3.09% underspend.

5.2 The LAG met on 28 June 2012 to allocate the remainder of LEADER funding available under the current Programme, in a competitive final funding round for applications. Within the limited funding available, all projects approved by the LAG could not be accommodated within the existing financial envelope. A modest level of over-commitment was sought subsequently, to ensure both that all the funding allocated was spent and claimed, whilst making a slight allowance for an expected forecasted underspend by approved projects. 5.3 Current LEADER recipients were asked recently whether they expected to incur an underspend. As predicted, a majority stated they would spend their allocated LEADER grant amount fully. However it was considered that clients feared that funding will be de- committed from them before their project ends if they answered in the affirmative. A further in-house exercise was subsequently undertaken to ascertain and forecast which approved / existing LEADER projects could reasonably be anticipated to underspend - which was evidence for the amount the Comhairle had been asked to underwrite as an over-commitment of LEADER. This exercise was undertaken by reviewing projects’ existing spend-and-claim profiles together with their monitoring reports.

5.4 Following discussions with both the Director of Development and Director of Finance and Corporate Resources it was agreed to underwrite £52,135 (5.09%) as a LEADER Programme over-commitment - to ensure that 100% of LEADER and Convergence funding allocated was fully spent. This allowed the LAG to approve one final project and ensure all funds are claimed from the Scottish Government by the end of the LEADER 2007-2013 programme. Failure to defray the Programme allocation fully may have negative implications as to the amount of funding allocated to the Outer Hebrides in the next Rural Development Programme 2014-2020.

5.5 The Comhairle is therefore asked to homologate the decision of the Director of Finance and Corporate Resources to approve an over-commitment of £52,135.37 - equating to 5.09% of funding allocated - to ensure the LEADER Innse Gall programme 2007-2013 maximises its spend to ensure minimal impact on future scheme allocations.

ADVANCES OF LEADER GRANT TO APPLICANT GROUPS

6.1 As stated above, a degree of project underspend is normal and expected across a number of projects in any Programme, which should be taken into account. In addition, however LAGs, in consultation with their Lead Partner are required to take into account whether to allow beneficiaries to receive advance payments of LEADER grant from Scottish Government funds held by the Lead Partner in order to assist projects to either commence or complete successfully.

6.2 Due to unforeseen circumstances some LEADER project beneficiaries may have difficulty raising the finance to allow their project to commence - and LEADER grant can only be paid out on defrayed expenditure, which can cause cashflow issues for beneficiaries. The Scottish Government decided previously - per Article 9 of the ‘European Commission’s Regulation No 1974/2006’ - that a maximum of 30% of any LEADER grant approved could be advanced at the beginning of a project to assist beneficiaries with their cashflow.

6.3 In order to assist beneficiaries towards the end of their projects, and to avoid potential losses, LAGs can also grant an advance to a maximum of 15% of total project costs to enable claimants to pay the final 25% of their project costs and make a final claim. Claimants thus have to ensure that they hold sufficient funds to meet at least 10% of the final costs. The remaining 15% would then be deducted from the last grant payment. This facility is only made available after the group have provided sufficient evidence for its need and upon signing a contract stating that all monies and securities can be reclaimed from the group if eligible evidence of the payment is not received by the Comhairle. In addition the LAG wish to be able to have the opportunity to approve an advance of a proportion of their final grant amount, retaining at least 10% of their grant as security for receipt of all expenditure evidence.

6.4 The decision to advance funding to a project is at the discretion and risk of the Comhairle, as Lead Partner in this instance. The Comhairle would be held liable for monies advanced if the project fails. Regulations state that EU funding cannot be advanced to enable projects to start - therefore the Comhairle bears this risk until the beneficiary submits an eligible claim to the LAG showing the defrayment of the advance. The LAG can then claim this funding from the Scottish Government thus recouping the Comhairle’s initial payment.

6.5 The Director of Development on behalf of the LAG - in consultation with the Comhairle’s Head of Executive Office - drew-up a contract previously to ensure that such advances are administered properly by a project beneficiary. In the event that no further claims are submitted following the payment of an advance, applicants must agree to repay on demand any advance payment. They also undertake, if requested, to execute a Standard Security over any building or other asset purchased or modified with the LEADER grant.

6.6 The LAG does not promote an advance payments facility and has only offered this as a solution following submission of a reasonable justification by the applicant. A beneficiary would only be allowed one LEADER grant advance during the project’s lifetime. The LAG would wish to continue to have such discretion should a group become in need of support prior to submitting their LEADER claims.

6.7 The Comhairle is therefore asked to homologate the decision of the Director of Development, in consultation with the Chief Executive, to enable advances of LEADER grant to be paid to applicants on the basis of the foregoing justification.

AUDITS OF THE LEADER PROGRAMME AND REVIEW METHODS ADOPTED

7.1 The LEADER LAG and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, as Lead Partner, routinely undergo different audits on at least three separate occasions each year. In addition, Audit Scotland also undertook an audit of the SRDP on behalf of the European Court of Auditors (ECA) in 2012 - requesting a number of project files from each LEADER LAG area, including from the Outer Hebrides. Whilst no issues on the Outer Hebrides files were reported, the LAG wishes to make the Comhairle aware of the process undertaken by Audit Scotland, in order to note the contingent risk, and how it is managed.

7.2 The framework that Audit Scotland employed to review the SRDP in 2011/12, including LEADER, was extremely complex, which could have left the Comhairle open to a high level of financial risk if any payments of grant were found to be ineligible as a result. In context, during 2010/11 it was reported that the SRDP accounts paid €39m of European Commission (EC) and Scottish Government money to beneficiaries. Audit Scotland used a monetary unit sample to test the amount reported to them. They subsequently chose to sample 230 SRDP cases which resulted in the interval between selected cases to be £165k meaning that every 165,000th Euro spent was selected and the project that this was included in reviewed.

7.3 Audit Scotland therefore reviewed projects at £165k intervals - and if a particular project at the point of an interval cut-off was deemed ineligible, the Lead Partner would potentially be liable to repay the full £165k back to Scottish Government - as that full interval would be deemed ineligible. The LAG feels that the Comhairle must be aware of the potential risk, given that this would be the procedure undertaken should / when the ECA commission their next review of the SRDP.

7.4 Errors found by Audit Scotland during casework lead to the “tainting” of an interval and reports – e.g. if a project was found to be wholly ineligible this ‘taint’ would be 100%, with lower percentages calculated for errors in process or procedure for eligible projects. The taint is then applied to the whole monetary interval and not just the project in question - so the whole of the £165k interval would be deemed ineligible, not just the actual costs of the project. As a result, even a relatively low-value project deemed ineligible would have a significant financial impact on the accounts as a whole. If a high-value project found to be wholly ineligible was selected twice, the taint would be 200% and result in £330k being disallowed (2 x £165k). As the local LEADER Programme supports relatively small-scale projects the probability of this occurring is considered negligible.

7.5 If a project was found to be ineligible the whole process could take months and possibly years to resolve - and would conclude with a statement from the EC detailing the amount of expenditure it intended to exclude from the account (i.e. “disallowance”). Where a LEADER project has been deemed to be ineligible, has received ineligible payments or otherwise contributed to the disallowance confirmed by the EC, the relevant cost to the Scottish Government may require to be recompensed by the relevant LAG Lead Partner, per the LEADER SLA paragraph 16.2 which states: “If Scottish Ministers face disallowance of the EU contribution as a consequence of the Lead Partner failing to observe any requirements of this SLA or other regulatory requirements, the Lead Partner will recompense Scottish Ministers for that element of the expenditure.”

7.6 Audit Scotland’s sample cases included three LEADER Innse Gall projects. Their findings reported zero irregularities or issues - with no projects therefore deemed ineligible, resulting in the Comhairle not facing the threat of any repayment. Whereas the level of review intervals will vary annually depending on the amount of SRDP spend reported to the EC, the Comhairle should continue to take steps to ensure eligible, transparent and clear audit-trails are followed and exist in each LEADER process in order to avoid any disallowance or repayments occurring in the future.

7.7 Furthermore the LEADER team will continue to ensure that all aspects of the Programme are transparent and that clear, concise audit-trails are continued which will stand up to the numerous audit reviews that the local LAG complies with on an annual basis. These consist of two different reviews from separate teams within Scottish Government - and an annual Internal Audit review by the Comhairle. In addition, Audit Scotland - on behalf of the European Court of Auditors - and the Comhairle’s External Auditors, also request information on an ad-hoc basis. It is therefore imperative that the LEADER team and the Comhairle, as Lead Partner, ensure that the local programme adheres to all regulations and that all monies defrayed are towards eligible LEADER project activities.

INTERIM EVALUATION OF LEADER 2007-2013 AND PREPARATION FOR 2014-2020

8.1 The European Commission and the Scottish Government are currently actively consulting on the next Rural Development Programme (RDP) for 2014-2020. Whilst this is still in the early stages the European Commission has stated in their draft European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) 2014-2020 Regulations that at least 5% of the next RDP will be reserved for the purposes of a new LEADER Programme.

8.2 The LEADER Innse Gall LAG agreed unanimously at its June 2012 meeting to an interim evaluation of the current Programme. Whilst other Scottish LAGs have procured external consultants to undertake evaluations of their local programmes the LEADER Innse Gall LAG requests that the Comhairle’s Community Gateway service undertake this evaluation. Community Co-ordinators would be instrumental in recording and reporting beneficiaries experience of the LEADER Innse Gall 2007-2013 Programme and ascertaining whether outputs have been met.

8.3 Further detail on the composition of new EU Programmes is not available. However, the Scottish Government has stated that it would like to implement the next Programme as early as possible in 2014, and it has advised Scottish LEADER LAGs to begin preparing draft strategies for the next Programme. Whilst management and administration of the new Programme is not yet clear it is envisaged that Local Authorities, where appropriate, will again be asked to act as Lead Partners for Scottish LAGs.

8.4 Subject to Comhairle agreement, the LAG also agreed at its last meeting that it wishes to pursue the development of a new draft LEADER strategy for the Outer Hebrides, with a view to applying for EU funding from the next Programme 2014-2020. Scottish Government has requested that local draft strategies be prepared for December 2012. The LEADER Innse Gall LAG seeks confirmation of support from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.

8.5 With the Comhairle’s permission, the LAG will also shortly be commencing am interim evaluation of the current 2007-2014 Programme in collaboration with the Comhairle’s Community Gateway team in order to ensure a fair evaluation with a degree of independence. The evaluation will seek to identify the impact the local LEADER Programme has had on the Outer Hebrides thus-far. The findings of the evaluation will not only indicate the success or otherwise of the current Programme – it will inform the local strategy for the period 2014-2020. It is anticipated that the interim evaluation will be completed by end November 2012. A formal economic evaluation of the 2007-2013 Programme will be carried out prior to formal closure in 2014.

8.6 Given an expected decrease in levels of grant funding available in all local or regional EU Programmes, it is considered imperative that the Comhairle takes every step to secure all community development EU grant available, on behalf of Outer Hebrides communities.

APPENDIX 1

LEADER INNSE GALL PROGRAMME 2007-2013: GEOGRAPHIC FUNDING COMMITMENT

Barvas/ Ness/ Westside £216,463 7 Projects Approved Uig & Bernera £96,698 Stornoway 3 Projects Approved & Broadbay £358,021 7 Projects Approved Projects covering multi-islands: Lewis & Harris specific £46,775 4 Projects Approved Lochs £110,924 Outer Hebrides-wide 2 Projects Approved £960,869 23 Projects Approved

Uist & Barra specific £139,452 3 Projects Approved

Harris £297,105 4 Projects Approved

North Uist & Benbecula £319,197 10 Projects Approved

South Uist £306,576 8 Projects Approved

Barra / Vatersay / Eriskay £63,891 4 Projects Approved

Total LEADER funding allocated across the Outer Hebrides = £2,915,971 75 Projects Approved APPENDIX 2

LEADER INNSE GALL – LIST OF PROJECTS APPROVED

TOTAL ELIGIBLE AWARD ORGANISATION PROJECT AREA % AWARD PROJECT AMOUNT COST

1 Carthannas Nis Carthannas Nis Phase 2 Ness £59,620.00 £25,852.00 43.36%

2 Galson Estate Trust Business Centre Ness £437,268.00 £64,645.00 14.78%

3 Galson Estate Trust Community Electrical Vehicle Ness £81,918.75 £40,459.00 49.39% Comunn Eachdraidh Nis 4 Comunn Eachdraidh Nis Development Project Ness £90,000.00 £40,300.00 44.78%

5 Clann an Latha an De Borders Experience Westside £9,150.00 £3,275.58 35.80% Barvas & Brue Community Barvas & Brue Community Centre Senior Citizens & 6 Centre Youth Café Westside £124,078.70 £40,678.00 32.78%

WI Duke Of Edinburgh Residential Project Moldova 7 Awards 2010 Barvas £9,380.00 £1,253.47 13.36% Tolsta Shop - Community Stornoway & 8 Tolsta Community Buy-out Broadbay £60,000.00 £10,412.39 17.35% Western Isles Transport Western Isles Transport Stornoway & 9 Preservation Group Museum Broadbay £186,000.00 £30,400.00 16.34% Western Isles Learning Stornoway & 10 Shop ESOL Inclusion Project Broadbay £71,000.00 £31,000.00 43.66% Sgailean Western Isles Stornoway & 11 Foyer Homeless Drop-in Centre Broadbay £208,828.00 £104,414.00 50.00% Volunteer Centre Western Volunteer Management Stornoway & 12 Isles Programme Broadbay £16,000.00 £6,794.60 43.75% Back Football & Recreation Enclosed All Weather Arena Stornoway & 13 Club Project Broadbay £658,417.00 £125,000.00 18.98% Eaglais Na h-Aoidhe Phase Stornoway & 14 Urras Eaglais Na h-Aoidhe One Broadbay £315,000.00 £50,000.00 15.87% Lochside Arena 15 Association Lochside Arena Lochs £385,000.00 £70,000.00 18.18%

16 Lochs Agricultural Society The Lochs Shed Project Lochs £81,847.50 £40,923.75 50.00%

17 Urras Tac Chalanais UTC Project Officer Uig & Bernera £116,340.00 £44,136.00 37.94%

18 Uig Development Trust Uig Community Shop Uig & Bernera £64,240.00 £17,592.50 27.39% Urras Tac Chalanais 19 Urras Tac Chalanais Development Uig & Bernera £69,969.00 £34,969.00 49.98%

20 An Lanntair Treasure Island Isle of Lewis £16,075.00 £7,100.10 44.17% WI Duke Of Edinburgh Training & Development 21 Awards Programme Isle of Lewis £34,138.00 £17,069.00 50.00% Stepping Stones Contact 22 Centre Life Story Work Isle of Lewis £22,811.56 £11,405.50 50.00% Community Learning 23 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Inclusion Project Lewis and Harris £22,400.00 £11,200.00 50.00% Isle of Harris Landscape 24 Harris Development Ltd Partnership Scheme Isle of Harris £337,144.00 £158,783.00 47.10% Scalpay Community Scalpay Community Shop 25 Development Ltd Project Isle of Harris £142,945.00 £48,472.50 33.91% TOTAL ELIGIBLE AWARD ORGANISATION PROJECT AREA % AWARD PROJECT AMOUNT COST Celebrating the People, Landscape and Wildlife of the 26 North Harris Trust North Harris Mountains Isle of Harris £53,251.00 £23,850.00 44.79%

27 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Leverburgh Pontoon Isle of Harris £132,000.00 £66,000.00 50.00% Clachan Sands Machinery 28 Group Environmental Measures North Uist £29,800.00 £8,775.00 30.00% Teampull na Trionaid Teampull na Trionaid 29 Conservation Association Conservation Project North Uist £3,900.00 £1,516.00 38.87%

30 Taigh Chearsabhagh Building for the Future North Uist £162,567.00 £60,970.00 37.50%

31 Berneray Historical Society Bringing our History Home North Uist £25,350.00 £12,350.00 48.72% Sustaining the Islands 32 Uist Wool Through Textile Tradition North Uist £180,000.00 £90,000.00 50.00% Urras nan Craobh Uibhist a Langass Community 33 Tuath Woodlands Project North Uist £48,460.00 £23,360.00 48.20%

34 Urachadh Uibhist Communication All Around North Uist £32,470.00 £15,000.00 46.20%

35 Tagsa Uibhist Tagsa Uibhist Development Benbecula £94,244.00 £35,886.77 39.88% The East Camp Social and 36 Tagsa Uibhist Horticultural Project Benbecula £74,766.56 £37,383.28 50.00% Benbecula Community Balivanich Community Centre 37 Association Landscaping Project Benbecula £113,956.00 £33,956.00 29.80% Re-Store Phase 2/ 38 Cothrom Ltd Mentorship South Uist £22,500.00 £8,519.43 39.11%

39 Tobar an Dual Chais Uist Digitisation Centre South Uist £138,150.00 £60,786.00 44.00% Askernish Development 40 Sealladh na Beinne Moire Manager South Uist £109,100.00 £48,004.00 44.00% Storas Uibhist Business 41 Storas Uibhist Centre South Uist £80,676.00 £40,288.98 50.00% Stoneybridge Community Stoneybridge Community 42 Centre Centre Upgrade South Uist £67,893.00 £29,108.00 42.87% South Uist Youth 43 Development Group Island Youth Project South Uist £68,996.00 £30,682.00 44.47% Southend Community Hall 44 Southend Community Hall Upgrade South Uist £289,976.00 £44,188.00 15.24% Askernish Golf Facility 45 Askernish Golf Club CIC Development South Uist £142,517.10 £45,000.00 31.58% North and South Uist and 46 Celoas Uibhist European Oral Song Tradition Benbecula £116,360.00 £81,452.00 70.00% North and South Uist and 47 Uist Radio Ltd An Radio Benbecula £91,000.00 £45,500.00 50.00% North and South Uist, Benbecula 48 Ceolas Uibhist Ltd Feasibility Study for Institute & Barra £29,500.00 £12,500.00 42.37% Barra Watersports 49 Barra Watersports Club Development Isle of Barra £19,735.00 £8,635.00 43.75% Voluntary Action Barra & Barra & Vatersay Community 50 Vatersay Multimedia Project Isle of Barra £61,340.00 £21,214.29 44.00%

TOTAL

ELIGIBLE AWARD ORGANISATION PROJECT AREA % AWARD PROJECT AMOUNT

COST

Therapeutic Garden Project 51 Garadh a'Bhagh a'Tuath Manager Isle of Barra £48,776.00 £22,988.00 43.03%

52 Barra Children's Centre Family Coordinator Post Isle of Barra £25,054.00 £11,054.00 44.12% Lewis & Harris Horticulture Regeneration of Sty & Tarbert 53 Producers Farmers Markets Outer Hebrides £30,750.00 £13,530.00 44.00% St Kilda Feasibility Centre 54 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Study Outer Hebrides £30,000.00 £13,062.72 44.00% Ceanglaichean Croitearachd / 55 Soil Association Scotland Crofting Connections Outer Hebrides £15,584.00 £5,959.00 44.00%

56 Proiseact nan Ealan Latha Hiort / St Kilda Day Outer Hebrides £42,000.00 £7,988.58 19.02%

Harris Tweed Consumer 57 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Study Outer Hebrides £80,000.00 £35,000.00 43.75%

58 Islands Book Trust New Horizons Outer Hebrides £176,000.00 £71,200.00 40.45% Highlands & Islands Community Account 59 Enterprise Management Outer Hebrides £432,268.00 £151,668.00 40.00% The Energy Advisory 60 Service TEAS@energysolutions Outer Hebrides £150,000.00 £66,000.00 44.00% Outer Hebrides Tourism Tourism Development: 2010- 61 Industry Association 2015 Outer Hebrides £150,480.00 £75,240.00 50.00%

62 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Online Grants Database Outer Hebrides £10,800.00 £4,519.17 50.00% Association of Harris Weavers Project 63 Tweed Weavers Administrator Outer Hebrides £40,300.00 £20,150.00 50.00% Highlands & Islands Northern Scottish Touring 64 Theatre Network Fund Outer Hebrides £59,864.00 £22,400.00 37.42% Outer Hebrides Youth 65 Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Engagement Project Outer Hebrides £55,000.00 £27,500.00 50.00% Safeguarding Bill Lawson's 66 Northton Heritage Trust Lifetime's Work for Posterity Outer Hebrides £60,000.00 £24,000.00 40.00% ‘Curracag’ – The Outer Hebrides Natural History Outer Hebrides Biological 67 Society Recording Outer Hebrides £11,566.99 £5,658.55 50.00% Supported Accommodation 68 Hebrides Alpha Project Service Outer Hebrides £278,071.00 £125,000.00 44.95% Harris Tweed Orb Centenary 69 Harris Tweed Authority Promotion Outer Hebrides £60,000.00 £27,000.00 45.00% Active Citizens Extension 70 Third Sector Hebrides Project Outer Hebrides £22,400.00 £11,200.00 50.00%

71 Proiseact nan Ealan Na Mo Chuid Aodaich Outer Hebrides £30,000.00 £15,000.00 50.00% Community Energy Outer Hebrides Community 72 Scotland Energy Fund Outer Hebrides £259,985.00 £125,000.00 48.08%

73 Soil Association Scotland Crofting Connections Phase 2 Outer Hebrides £17,048.00 £3,259.00 19.12%

Outer Hebrides Tourism 74 Industry Association Nature Tourism (Action 2) Outer Hebrides £153,120.00 £107,184.00 70.00%

Volunteer Centre Western Community Capacity Building 75 Isles Research Project Outer Hebrides £6,700.00 £3,350.00 50.00% GRAND TOTALS £8,053,845.16 £2,915,971.16 41.14%