[[File:LEADER logo.svg|thumb|175px|Logo of the LEADER initiative]]
The '''community-led local development''' ('''CLLD''') funding approach is a [[European Union]] initiative to support the decentralised management of development projects, primarily in rural, but also in coastal and urban areas, by involving relevant local actors, including local organizations and associations, as well as individual citizens. At first it was limited to the rural areas under the name '''LEADER''' (the acronym standing for {{lang-langx|fr|Liaison entre actions de développement de l'économie rurale}}, {{lang-langx|en|Links between actions for the development of the [[rural economics|rural economy]]}}). The approach is regularly evaluated, and also discussed widely in academic literature on local economic and social development.<ref name="Zavratnik2018">{{cite journal |last1=Zavratnik |first1=Veronika |last2=Kos |first2=Andrej |last3=Stojmenova Duh |first3=Emilija |title="Smart villages: Comprehensive review of initiatives and practices." |journal=Sustainability |date=2018 |volume=10 |issue=7 |page=2559 |doi=10.3390/su10072559 |doi-access=free }}</ref>
