- Round 3 Open
The latest round of Countryside Productivity Small Grant Scheme funding was formally opened yesterday (7th October), with applications being accepted until 4th November 2020.
What you need to know about Countryside Productivity Grant
This is the 3rd round of the Countryside Productivity Small Grant Scheme and £25m has been made available to assist farmers in funding new equipment to improve farm productivity.
The funding is linked to specific items that have been identified as helping to improve on farm productivity (a list of which can be found on the gov.uk website - see link below).
The items covered by the funding will achieve improvements in technical efficiency, animal health and welfare, resource efficiency and nutrient management.
However, this round has a tight deadline for submitting applications so it is important you know all the details before submitting:
- Grants are 40% of the standard costs
- Minimum grant: £3,000
- Maximum grant: £12,000
- Applicants in Cornwall or Isles of Scilly grants = up to 50%
- A standard cost has been applied to each piece of equipment (refer to annex 3 for item costs - see link below) - this is the fixed price which the grant will be paid on
- Deadline for application: midday 4th November 2020
- Deadline for claim for grant on items purchased: 31st March 2021
- Only brand new items can be funded - no second hand items
- You do not need to provide any quotes with your application
- You can buy an items that exceeds the specification, but you will only receive a grant based on the standard cost
- You must not have ordered or purchased items you are wishing to claim grant on, until your grant application has been accepted and you have been given the go ahead
Who can apply for Countryside Productivity Grant?
All farmers (including livestock, dairy, arable and horticultural sectors) can apply for a grant.
If you require an agent to apply for the grant on your behalf, you must make sure they have all the relevant permissions before hand so please discuss this with your agent when expressing an interest in applying.
What if I have already applied for funding in Round 1 and 2?
If you applied for Round 1 and 2 funding and your applications were successful but the grant awarded did not reach the £12,000 maximum, you can still apply for Round 3.
However, you must remember that any application in Round 3 must come to a minimum of £3,000 grant to be considered.
Therefore, if you were awarded and received a grant totalling £3,000 - £9,000 in Round 1 and 2 you are eligible to apply in Round 3.
If you were awarded and received a total grant of £9,000 to £12,000 in Round 1 and 2 you are not eligible to apply for Round 3.
If your application in Round 1 or 2 was either withdrawn or rejected at either the application of claim stage you are eligible to apply for Round 3.
What can I apply for?
Items have been identified for different agricultural sectors, that will help to improve on farm productivity. A comprehensive list of these items can be found by clicking on the link below, which will take you to the Gov.uk website and Annex 3 and 4.
> CPSG Annex 3 - Eligible Items
> CPSG Annex 4 - Eligible items by sector
How to apply
Before applying you must be registered with the RPA and make sure that your RPA details match your application details. You will need an SBI number and CRN number for your application and will need to have registered your preferred bank account with the RPA in order for any successful grant applications to be paid.
To submit your application you must apply using the online portal on the Countryside Productivity page on the Gov.uk website.
Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an automatic email receipt with a 6 digit reference which you will need to keep safe.
For further information on how to apply, please click on the link below:
Decisions will be announced as soon as possible after the closing date for applications on 4th November.
Awash with paperwork?
Don't worry, we are here to help! If it all seems a little confusing, but you are interested in submitting an application please give our office a call on 01666 817278 and one of our consultants would be happy to help you with the process.
