Failed Projects. Initiatives that Did not Receive Funding from the LEADER Programme

Abstract

In this research we analysed the LEADER projects which after being presented to the respective local action groups (LAGs) were ultimately not carried out. Our aim was to find out more about the profile of the promoter, the type of investment and the reasons why the project failed. We consulted the files for failed projects for the period 2008–2015 from the LAGs in the Andalusia region of southern Spain and interviewed various LAG managers. We discovered that these projects tended to be run by private businesspeople rather than by public organizations and were often led by young, less experienced entrepreneurs. The reasons for the failure of these projects range from insufficient planning and lack of finance to the tough requirements of the LEADER programme, rigid time schedules and complex bureaucratic formalities. The information gauged from these unsuccessful experiences can make a significant contribution to improving the implementation of these kinds of initiatives.