Farmer business grant available in Wales
Farmers in Wales have the chance to apply for capital grants under the new Farm Business Grant Scheme.
Farmers in Wales have the chance to apply for capital grants under the new Farm Business Grant Scheme.
The grant is designed to help farmers in Wales to improve the economic and environmental performance of their agricultural holdings and will provide a 40 per cent contribution towards capital investments in equipment and machinery that have been pre-identified as offering clear and measurable benefits to farm enterprises.
“Available over four years, the £40 million funding pot offers grants from a minimum of £3,000 up to a maximum £12,000,” said Kathryn Williams at Davis Meade Property Consultants at Oswestry.
“The first of three application windows in the 2017-2018 financial year opened on May 2 and expression of interest must be made by June 30. There will be another two-month window in August 2017 and the third in February 2018.“
The capital items available through the scheme cover the following five themes: Animal Health, Performance and Genetics, Crop Management, Resource Efficiency, Energy Efficiency and ICT and are specified with standardised costs.
The scheme is discretionary with the amount of grant offered relating to individual circumstances and will always be the minimum amount necessary to allow the investments to go ahead.
Farms may apply in more than one application round but only one grant award will be allowed per farm under this scheme.
All businesses applying for the Farm Business Grant will be required to register their business with Farming Connect in advance of applying and eligibility for the Farm Business Grant requires a partner in the business to attend a ‘Farming for the Future’ event organised by Farming Connect. The individual attending must be registered as a business partner with Farming Connect and Welsh Government Rural Payment Wales.
The business must have a minimum of three hectares of agricultural land, or be able to demonstrate 550 standard labour hours, which will be determined at registration with Farming Connect. Businesses with a total turnover exceeding £1m are not eligible the grant.
Arable, beef, dairy, goats, horticulture, pigs, poultry, sheep and apiculture are eligible for support but equine (including grazing horses) and forestry (including woodland-only owners) are NOT eligible for support under FBG.
The application and claim will be submitted online. For further information on the application criteria and guidance notes see the Welsh Government website or speak to Kathryn Williams at Davis Meade Property Consultants Tel: 07971 583638 Email: kathrynwilliams@dmpcuk.com
