SUPPORT TO INCREASE FARM PRODUCTIVITY

Total programme budget (at 2015): £362,328

Programme Targets
No. of Projects / 18
No. of Businesses or Holdings Benefitting / 18
No. of Jobs Created / 6

Local priority:

To support local farms to increase their efficiency, productivity and sustainability

National priorities are to support:

a)A project to improve the overall performance and sustainability of an agricultural holding

b)An investment to support animal health and welfare improvements

c)Processing, marketing and/or development of agricultural products

Grant:

Minimum £2,500, maximum grant amount is £50,000 or 40%, whichever is the lower

a) A project to improve the overall performance and sustainability of an agricultural holding

Who can apply?

Farmers or groups of farmers

What is eligible?

Applications for grants could include:

  • Equipment and machinery to improve the efficiency of the use of energy, water, fertiliser and other direct inputs (for example precision farming or new technologies)
  • Equipment and machinery to reduce impacts on soils (like specialist drills to enable low or zero tillage farming) and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
  • Investments to improve facilities for slurry/manure management
  • Investments to modernise or mechanise production and increase productivity

Costs could include:

  • Construction, acquisition or improvement to immovable property
  • The purchase, hire purchase or lease purchase of new machinery and equipment (including second hand equipment)
  • General costs such as architect, engineer and consultation fees (limited to 15% of the project’s total eligible costs)
  • Intangible investments including acquisition or development of computer software
  • Acquisition of patents, licences, copyrights and trademarks.

b) An investment to support animal health and welfare improvements

Who can apply?

Farmers or groups of farmers

What is eligible?

Applications for grants could include:

  • Equipment and machinery to improve the efficiency of use in inputs (feed etc.)
  • Improvements to livestock housing to improve animal welfare or energy efficiency
  • Equipment and machinery to improve animal handling

Costs could include:

  • The costs of construction, acquisition (including leasing) or improvements to immovable property
  • The purchase, or lease purchase, of new machinery and equipment
  • General costs such as architect, engineer and consultation fees (limited to a maximum of 15% of the project’s total eligible costs)
  • Intangible investments including acquisition or development of computer software
  • Acquisition of patents, licences, copyrights and trademarks.

c) Processing, marketing and/or development of agricultural products

Who can apply?

Farmers, land owners or processing businesses

What is eligible?

Applications for grants could include:

  • Investment in equipment, technologies or processes to reduce waste;
  • Investments in equipment, technologies or processes to develop new or higher quality products;
  • Business start-ups;
  • Marketing activity, excluding hard copy material, associated with the above investments;
  • Construction or conversion of buildings to be used for processing activities.

Costs could include:

  • Construction, acquisition (including leasing) and/or improvements to immovable property;
  • The purchase or hire purchase of new and second hand equipment (separate guidance on second-hand equipment is available in the Applicant Handbook);
  • General costs such as architect, engineer and consultation fees (restricted to a maximum of 15% of total project costs);
  • Intangible investments including acquisition or development of computer software;
  • Acquisition of patents, licences, copyrights, trademarks.

Ineligible costs:

  • In-kind contributions
  • Costs for standard agricultural equipment & inputs, like animals & annual crops
  • Cost of agricultural production rights & payment entitlements;
  • Cost of getting any consents needed, for example planning permission;
  • Costs for anything that’s a standard industry obligation, for example requirements of the Basic Payment Scheme
  • Costs that are incurred before the date of the grant funding agreement;
  • Financial charges, such as interest, fines and maintenance;
  • Reclaimable VAT;
  • Any items the applicant already gets EU or national funding for;
  • Projects the applicant is required to do by law or to meet a legal requirement;
  • Like-for-like replacements;
  • Costs connected with a leasing contract, such as lessor’s margin, interest refinancing costs, overheads and insurance charges;
  • Salaries, running costs;
  • Relocation of the business;
  • Own labour;
  • Licence fees, subscriptions and service charges;
  • Standard computer and mobile equipment; and
  • Costs for renewable heat and energy systems covered by the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) or Feed-In Tariffs (FITs) aren’t eligible.

Web: Phone: 01237 426423 Email:

Please note: this is a summary document – full details can be found in the Applicant Handbook