3.
Where the farm business has undertaken an RDPE Livestock programme funded Animal Health & Welfare Plan, then you may apply for grant aid on the following:
3.1
Specialist equipment to significantly improve livestock performance recording and handling, for example turning crates or weighing crates. Standard livestock handling facilities are not eligible. Self locking yokes and auto-shedding systems are not eligible unless the Vet identifies them in the Plan as being HIGH priority.
3.2
Specialist cattle foot health facilities such as automatic foot spraying.
3.3
Specialist calf hutches / calf welfare housing facilities / computerised calf feeding systems
3.4
Cow tracks are not eligible unless identified by the Vet as HIGH priority in the Animal Health plan, and then must be high quality and of a design approved by the technical adviser.
3.5
Works which are intended to improve existing adequate ventilation in intensive / semi intensive livestock buildings (such as for young stock, pigs and poultry)
3.6
Small scale animal welfare building enhancements e.g. comfort cubicles, rotating brushes, specialist resurfacing of flooring e.g. grooving or slats, if prioritised in Animal Health Plan.
3.7
High specification parlour improvements e.g. flushing / auto-dipping systems, variable rate vacuum pumps. Automatic (in or out of parlour) feeders are not eligible.
3.8
High quality cow comfort mattresses. Standard cubicle mats are not eligible.
3.9
Heat detection systems.
3.10
Specialised farm computer software and related equipment relevant to Animal Health & Welfare and EID technology
Performance Grants Guidance
IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THE GUIDANCE NOTES CAREFULLY.
YOU CANNOT APPLY TO THIS SCHEME IF YOU HAVE AN UNRESOLVED CROSS COMPLIANCE FAILURE
RDPE Animal Health and Welfare Planning is available through SAC on 0845 604 0535 4.
Where the farm business has undertaken an RDPE funded Business Plan AND YOU CANNOT OBTAIN FUNDING ELSEWHERE, then you can apply for grant aid on the following:
YOU MUST COMPLETE THE ELIGIBILITY CHECK LIST ENCLOSED BEFORE YOU APPLY FOR A GRANT
4.1
Any eligible activity which adds value to primary produce from the livestock sector (annex 1) as long as RDPE funding is not available from any other source such as from the RDPE Local Action Groups.
Applying for funding towards an item from this list does not automatically guarantee an offer of grant aid.
RDPE support for Business Planning is available through the NWDA RDPE office on 01768 861306
All projects must be highlighted as priorities in the relevant farm plans required as evidence.
NOTE:
Before being considered, projects must demonstrate they are 1.
Other innovative projects may be considered under each heading but only where there is clear evidence of business priority in the relevant plan, and these may need an independent second opinion.
5.
You can also apply for grant aid on TECHNICAL FEES under the above 4 headings
5.1
This might include: feasibility studies, design and commissioning of projects, under the above 4 headings.
above legal minimum standards and extra to normal farm practice
The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas
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RDPE Northwest Livestock Programme – Performance Grants
LIST OF ELIGIBLE ITEMS
Guidance Notes for Applicants
The following list of eligible items have been prepared with reference to the RDPE livestock funding policy plan produced by the RDAs along with Defra.
NOTE: Applications will be dealt with in rounds. Please check closing date for each round on Page 6. 1. What is the aim of this grant programme? The grants are to improve the overall economic performance of livestock holdings in the North West, to promote the efficient use of energy, manure and water resources, and to improve the health and welfare of farmed animals. In a minority of cases, there may be funding to add value to primary produce. The funding will support the purchase of capital equipment under these themes, and the associated technical expertise needed to achieve business and sustainability benefits. 2. What kinds of project will be covered?
Section 7 of the Policy Plan states: “Based on the principles set out in section 3 of this plan, there are some investments which are deemed out of scope of RDPE investment based on their links to legislative requirements and/or basic livestock production. Where similar items are designed to make significant improvements beyond basic standards and form part of an overall plan, these should be discussed on an individual project basis”. In the light of the above, every effort will be made to fund eligible items prioritised in the applicant’s technical plan, however, decisions relating to eligibility will be made by the NWDA RDPE team and will be final. 1.
Items funded must improve business efficiency by any combination of the following:
Where the farm business has undertaken an RDPE Livestock programme funded Resource Efficiency Audit, then you may apply for grant aid on the following:
1.1.
improving animal health and welfare utilising manures / nutrients more efficiently reducing waste, reducing energy and/or water use adding value to livestock products
1.2. 1.3. 1.4.
These must be listed on the List of Eligible Items at the end of these guidance notes and identified as priorities in relevant RDPE funded technical plan, under the following headings: ANIMAL HEALTH & WELFARE INVESTMENTS identified in the Animal Health Plan (AHP)
1.5. 1.6.
2. NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT INVESTMENTS identified in the Nutrient Management Plan (NMP)
1.7.
3.
1.8.
1.
RESOURCE SAVING INVESTMENTS identified in the Resource Audit
Applications can be made under one or a combination of these 3 headings, as long as each one is accompanied by the appropriate plan as indicated. 4. Where other funding sources are not available there is a small amount of funding for ADDING VALUE TO PRIMARY (LIVESTOCK) PRODUCTS as identified in a Business Plan 5.
TECHNICAL FEES associated with the feasibility, design and commissioning of developments under each of the above headings are also eligible.
Support for RDPE Resource efficiency auditing is available through Promar on 0870 870 7380 2.
Where the farm business has undertaken an RDPE Livestock programme funded Nutrient and Manure Management Plan, then you may apply for grant aid on the following:
2.1. 2.2. 2.3.
3. Are there any restrictions or exclusions? The following are NOT eligible:
2.4.
• Investments to assist the meeting of statutory responsibilities and the cost of regulatory fees • Items which form part of standard farming practice • General maintenance and repairs /replacement costs Large infrastructure projects, such as buildings, slurry stores, or milking parlours, which are seen as standard requirements of a farm business, will not be grant aided. However, specialist pieces of equipment which are part of a larger development may be eligible. • The fund is limited in size and if oversubscribed may result in unsuccessful applications or lower grant awards. Submission of an application does not guarantee approval.
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Roof water recycling equipment such as tanks and associated piping, diverters and filters. The roofing sheets are not eligible. Heat recovery systems, ice builders, gel coolers, and similar resource / energy saving equipment. Bulk milk tank upgrades which significantly improve resource efficiency. Farm scale renewable energy facilities (business use only) - such as wind turbines, woodfuel / biomass boilers, solar panels on farm buildings. High specification insulation for stock buildings. Specialist crop/feed treatment facilities which result in energy / resource savings may be considered. Standard feed storage is not eligible. Incinerators and digesters for carcase disposal (if mobile these must be used collaboratively). These must be Defra / EA approved. Specialised farm computer software relating to resource efficiency.
2.5. 2.6. 2.7. 2.8. 2.9.
Any works which reduce the need for extra slurry storage, such as the separation of clean and dirty water, covering dirty yard areas, roofing middens and roofing manure stores. Roofing of silage pits to exclude rainwater. Water course fencing to exclude stock, and the associated pumps for alternative water supply provision. Environment Agency approved run-off management systems such as storage ponds, sediment traps and bio-beds. Slurry aerator Slurry separator. Farm level manure analysis equipment. Equipment which allows precision placement of manures & fertiliser, such as GPS equipment. Specialised farm computer software related to Nutrient Management Planning.
Support for RDPE Nutrient management planning is available through Promar on 0870 870 7380
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Other Important Notes for Applicants We will acknowledge receipt of your application within 5 working days and you will be informed of a decision within 30 working days after the relevant closing date... You must not commit to buying any equipment specifically related to this grant application until authorisation is received from NWDA in writing (in the form of a “Grant Offer Letter”). Grants cannot be awarded retrospectively. 1.
Factors considered when deciding whether an application is successful and the amount of grant offered include: a. b. c. d.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
•
An indicative budget may be set for each round and each year, and once the budget is fully committed, applications will be moved into the next year, subject to funds being available.
IMPORTANT: Equipment and items must not have been ordered or purchased prior to application.
4. How much is available?
the capital cost and value for money fit with priorities in your technical plan level of economic/environmental benefits achieved timescale in which the grant can be spent
Grant rates can be up to 40% of eligible expenditure; applications for grant should be for a minimum of £2,000 and a maximum of £8,000 per project. If your costs exceed £20,000, £8,000 remains the ceiling.
If your application is approved it can be selected for monitoring and inspection for up to 5 years after the payment of the grant, to ensure the conditions of the offer have been maintained and the equipment is still on site and being used for the purposes of the award. This includes achieving the outputs and targets you identify in your application. Grant can be re-claimed if any breach of the contract is found within this period. We treat proposals in the strictest confidence, as do any project contractors working with us, any independent assessors and panel members. You should also put in place the appropriate confidentiality measures with potential project partners and contractors when preparing your proposal. Apart from original invoices, we will not normally return documents to you. Please ensure that you retain copies of everything you submit to NWDA. We will securely store all documents for the period required to satisfy European Regulations, and then destroy them in line with our normal procedures. Please note that if your application is successful, EAFRD regulations require you to acknowledge the public funding allocated to the proposal in your publicity material and activities. Specific information regarding all approved applications will be in the public domain, in order to meet EAFRD regulations. There will be only 1 claim per application – no interim claims.
Applications for Technical Fees (see Page 2. Section 2, Point 5) are not subject to a minimum amount. A holding may apply more than once during the life of the scheme, but may apply only once per scheme year and only once in any 12 month period. Each business is limited to £12,000 grant in total from this grant fund. Group applications are acceptable, but the maximum allowable per farm business is still £12,000. 5. Priorities and other funding This is a competitive programme and grants will be awarded based on whether they meet the priorities for investment set out on the RDPE funded technical plan, and whether they offer value for money. Where grant aid for an item is available through another funder e.g. the Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) Initiative, or environmental scheme funding such as is available under Axis 2, then the alternative funding must be used first. 6. Who can apply? Livestock farming businesses in the North West, eligible under RDPE guidelines, can apply. This includes dairy, rearing, suckler beef, beef finishing, upland/lowland sheep, goats, pigs and poultry.
Application Years and Rounds (quarterly) Year 2009-10 Closing dates:
• There will be 4 application rounds per year. Deadline dates are given at the end of this document and will be confirmed when application packs are sent out. Any application that arrives in the RDPE office after the current deadline will be put forward to the next round, subject to funds being available.
Round 1 - 30 June 2009 Round 2 - 30 September 2009
Round 3 - 31 December 2009 Round 4 - 31 March 2010
Year 2010-11 Closing dates:
Round 5 – 30 June 2010 Round 6 - 30 September 2010
Round 7 - 31 December 2010 Round 8 - 31 March 2011
Year 2011-12 Closing dates:
Round 9 - 30 June 2011 Round 10 - 30 September 2011
Round 11 - 31 December 2011 Round 12 - 31 March 2012
Year 2012-13 Closing dates:
Round 13 - 30 June 2012 Round 14 - 30 September 2012
Round 15 - 31 December 2012
7. Where does the money come from? The programme is managed by the Northwest Regional Development Agency. Funding comes from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and the UK Government.
Who to contact For further details, please contact the RDPE Team at:The Northwest Regional Development Agency Unit 1, Enterprise House Gillan Way Penrith Cumbria CA11 9BP
01768 861306 / 321 / 336
rdpe@nwda.co.uk Page 6
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HOW TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION FORM
8.
If the grant application is for part of a wider project that requires consents, these will be required for the application process. If you require landlord’s consent and/or planning permission, please provide a copy of the approval documentation; if this application is part of a permanent/fixed structure which you believe does not need planning consent, please provide written confirmation from the relevant authority that permission is not required. If you require any other statutory consents, these too should be obtained and provided with this application.
9.
Enter details of the final economic/environmental benefits this project will provide. Please note that the greater the outputs and benefits you identify here, the more likely your business will be awarded a capital grant, so consider all possible benefits.
10.
Enter the proposed start and completion date of the works.
Front sheet A.
B.
You must register with the NW Livestock ICT Network www.livestocknw.co.uk before applying for a grant. This will ensure that you benefit from all related RDPE activity. If you do not have or use a computer, please tick the box provided, and we will note this. We may also use this information to send you details of relevant available computer training unless you ask us not to. Please tell us if you have attended any of the demonstration events in the region, which are designed to help with your plans to improve your farm business. You are encouraged to take advantage of all the help on offer through the RDPE.
Section 3 Proposal Funding Section 1 Applicant details
11.
1.
Enter contact name (person responsible for claiming grant within the business) and date of birth, and details of the business requesting grant investment. Enter Single Business Identifier (SBI) if available.
2.
Enter size of business.
3.
Enter full business address and contact details. If you have an agent or adviser handling this application, enter their contact details.
4.
Enter your main farming activity/type – i.e. the enterprise which generates the highest sales/turnover. If you are a genuine mixed farm with a fairly even sales split between enterprises, please tick the mixed crops and livestock box and provide more commentary on the farming business in the text box immediately below. Land in the process of organic conversion should be classed as organic.
Section 2 Details of Proposal
Enter details of the project costs from your preferred supplier/quote and attach the three comparative quotes obtained as supporting info. Quotes need to be current. If three quotes have not been obtained, you must say why, and provide other evidence of value for money. Second hand equipment can be purchased, providing it is accompanied by a declaration stating that it has not previously been purchased with grant aid. Set out how you will fund your share of the project costs, e.g. through a loan, overdraft or cash; HP or lease arrangements cannot be used. If you are VAT registered, show costs net of VAT, if you are not VAT registered provide the proposal costs including VAT. Please provide evidence to confirm the availability of your private contribution e.g. a bank letter/ statement.
12.
Please declare any other public funding you plan to use to aid this development including grant name, how much received and when, as it may not be legal to match certain public funding with this grant.
13.
Enter Yes if you will be proceeding with the project within the next 6 months even if your grant application is unsuccessful. Enter No if the project will not proceed without grant investment.
5.
This should be the address at which the investment will be located and may be different to the business or correspondence address.
6.
Describe the nature, function and purpose of the item for which you are requesting funding. Please detail the positive impact it will have on the business.
Section 4 Declaration
Your Nutrient Management Plans (NMP), Animal Health Plans (AHP), Resource Audits or Business Plans must provide the supporting calculations to demonstrate the cost savings / extra profit that the business will make by investing in the grant aided item. Please ensure your calculations and assumptions are clearly set out in the relevant plan (NMP, AHP, Resource Audit or Business Plan) supplied as evidence with this application.
14. Submit 3 years recent accounts for the business so we can assess the viability of the business. We cannot invest in businesses which are in difficulty. Definitions: A firm in difficulty is one unable, through its own resources and without outside intervention by the public authorities, to stem losses which will almost certainly condemn it to going out of business in the short or medium term. In addition, a firm is regarded as being in difficulty if it is:
The more relevant information provided to support your application the better. 7.
Enter Yes if you will be proceeding with the project between 6 months and 3 years from now, even if your grant application is unsuccessful. Enter No if not. Please state (in months) how long since you first considered implementing the project.
a. b.
ALL BUSINESSES MUST SUPPLY: 9 Three quotes for capital items (printed and widely advertised company price lists will only be acceptable as a last resort, and must be current and unambiguous); 9 Copy of recent (within 12 months) audited farm accounts covering 3 years; 9 A signed statement of business viability from your accountant; 9 Confirmation of private funding source e.g. bankers letter; 9 The NMP / AHP / Resource Audit / Business Plan(s) relevant to the proposal; 9 A map clearly showing the holding and the location of the proposed development. Where any project cost (before grant aid) is over ÂŁ20,000 or where the business accounts show vulnerability such as a sustained decline in profits, then a business plan may be required as well as the relevant technical plan.
c.
a limited company where more than half of its registered capital has disappeared and more than one quarter of that capital has been lost over the preceding twelve months; an unlimited company where more than half of its capital has disappeared and more than one quarter of that capital has been lost over the preceding twelve months; a company fulfilling the criteria of insolvency under domestic law.
15. Qualifications could include degrees or diplomas or could also include NPTC (proficiency test) courses or other relevant accredited courses. Include also your participation in recognised industry initiatives e.g. EBLEX Better Returns. 16. You must enter your VAT status. 17. List the schemes you have received payments under, for example this includes SPS, Environmental Stewardship Schemes, Forestry Schemes, Energy Crops, Diversification Grants and Training Grants. However, list the total funding excluding SPS (Single Payment Scheme) you have received under these since April 2005. 18. Tick the box if you are authorising an agent/adviser to act on your behalf and sign and date the form.
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