Iceland expands rural development programme with 400 million

The board of the Regional Development Institute has approved an expansion of the Brittle Communities rural development programme, with 400 million allocated over five years, mbl.is reports. The programme will receive 80 million a year.

The funding responds to calls to allow more communities to take part, including those that do not score among the highest on the institute’s measures. A three-year follow-on programme has also been made permanent. It has operated for the past two years with two communities that previously took part in Brittle Communities.

The programme began in 2012, and 17 communities have participated. Each project has involved cooperation between the Regional Development Institute, the municipality and the relevant regional association.

Three participation options

From the start of next year, communities will be able to join through one of three programmes: Brittle Communities I, Brittle Communities II or Stronger Communities.

Brittle Communities I is a five-year programme for communities with 800 residents or fewer. The Regional Development Institute will fund most of the programme management, while initiative grants will be based on population. The grants support residents’ initiatives, innovation and ideas to strengthen local communities, improve living conditions and encourage employment.

Brittle Communities II is a three-year programme for communities that have previously taken part in Brittle Communities. The relevant municipality and regional association will fund programme management, while initiative grants will come from the programme and the institute.

Stronger Communities is a five-year programme for communities with up to 1,400 residents. The institute is expected to cover half the cost of the project manager, with the municipality paying the other half. Unlike the Brittle Communities programmes, it is not limited to municipalities that have faced long-term difficulties and decline in recent years.

The institute expects to have four or five communities in Brittle Communities I, two in Brittle Communities II and two in Stronger Communities at any one time. It says there may be room for new communities to join in the coming months.

The 17 communities that have taken part are Tálknafjörður, Kaldrananeshreppur, Reykhólahreppur, Dalabyggð, Stöðvarfjörður, Strandabyggð, Bakkafjörður, Þingeyri, Borgarfjörður eystri, Árneshreppur, Grímsey, Öxarfjarðarhérað, Hrísey, Skaftárhreppur, Breiðdalshreppur, Bíldudalur and Raufarhöfn.

One aim of the programme is to hear residents’ views on the future prospects of their communities and find solutions on their own terms, in cooperation with the state, regional associations, municipalities and former residents, among others.