capacities and skills, and work to build up their autonomy and resilience". The question that presents itself is whether this approach can be adopted by communities seeking to promote physically active lifestyles (through mountain ‘community biking) and thus, using their assets,’ see real improvements in health and well-being throughout the Highlands. 6.6 Potential Funding Streams A number of mountain bike developments over the past decade or so have been financed through European funding programmes in conjunction with public and private sector partners (for example the 7Stanes through European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Objective 2 and Transitional Programmes, while the new development at Glenlivet has also been co-financed through ERDF). Other European funds that may have been used for varied aspects of mountain biking development have been the Interreg and Leader programmes. The current round of European funding programmes only runs until 2013 however. As a result, the Leader programme is not taking any more applications however and the various Interreg funding sources are also nearing their termination. European funding in the Highlands for infrastructure-type projects is accessed through the European Regional Development Fund, managed by the Highlands and Islands Structural Funds Partnership Ltd (HIPP). HIPP informed the team that there are no funds available for the current ERDF programme which also terminates in 2013. The European Social Fund (ESF) can be accessed for projects that improve the skills of the workforce; it is also managed through HIPP. As an example, the Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust recently secured £400,000 to train people over the next three years on its Access Skills Training project, looking at skills related to, among others, upland and lowland path work, and interpretation/promotion. Again, however, the programme ends next year. The European Commission has recently adopted the draft legislation that will frame the Cohesion Policy 2014-2020, which replaces the current programmes. It is too early to determine exactly how ERDF and ESF will be managed in the Highlands, but, according to HIPP, it appears that it is likely to be targeted less at smaller,
capacities and skills, and work to build up their autonomy and resilience". The question that presents itself is whether this approach can be adopted by communities seeking to promote physically active lifestyles (through mountain biking) and thus, using their ‘community assets,’ see real improvements in health and well-being throughout the Highlands. 6.6 Potential Funding Streams A number of mountain bike developments over the past decade or so have been financed through European funding programmes in conjunction with public and private sector partners (for example the 7Stanes through European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Objective 2 and Transitional Programmes, while the new development at Glenlivet has also been co-financed through ERDF). Other European funds that may have been used for varied aspects of mountain biking development have been the Interreg and Leader programmes. The current round of European funding programmes only runs until 2013 however. As a result, the Leader programme is not taking any more applications however and the various Interreg funding sources are also nearing their termination. European funding in the Highlands for infrastructure-type projects is accessed through the European Regional Development Fund, managed by the Highlands and Islands Structural Funds Partnership Ltd (HIPP). HIPP informed the team that there are no funds available for the current ERDF programme which also terminates in 2013. The European Social Fund (ESF) can be accessed for projects that improve the skills of the workforce; it is also managed through HIPP. As an example, the Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust recently secured £400,000 to train people over the next three years on its Access Skills Training project, looking at skills related to, among others, upland and lowland path work, and interpretation/promotion. Again, however, the programme ends next year. The European Commission has recently adopted the draft legislation that will frame the Cohesion Policy 2014-2020, which replaces the current programmes. It is too early to determine exactly how ERDF and ESF will be managed in the Highlands, but, according to HIPP, it appears that it is likely to be targeted less at smaller,
UHI_Highland_Cluster_Final_Report.docx