Countryside Productivity Small Grants

Tue 9 July 2019

Improve Farm Productivity with the Small Grant Scheme

Today, the application window for the second round of the Countryside Productivity Small Grants (CPSG) opened for all farm types including livestock, horticulture and arable businesses, with a total of £15 million available. Time is of the essence and the devil is going to be in the detail.

This particular scheme provides funding for projects in England which improve productivity in the farming and forestry sectors, with a minimum grant of £3,000 up to a maximum of £12,000 at 40% of standard costs.

Here, Emma Smith, Rural Chartered Surveyor in the Alnwick office of YoungsRPS, gives some timely advice for those interested in applying:

 “Applications must be submitted online by midday on Tuesday 3rd September 2019, and the best applicants will be offered agreements towards the end of September, so now is the time to start applying.

“Fortunately, for anyone whose claim was rejected or withdrawn in the first round of grants, they can re-apply in this second round. Likewise, applicants for round one funding can also submit and apply under round two; however, the total value of both applications must not exceed £12,000.

“Applications will be scored and ranked based on how they meet the scheme criteria. This includes technical efficiency, animal health and welfare, health and safety and resource efficiency. In order to best meet the criteria, it is recommended that you:

• Check the item you are applying for meets the specifications listed in Annex 3 of the handbook. If the items are not listed, the item is not eligible for grant funding. The potential grant funded items include livestock handling facilities and precision farming equipment.
• Order items as soon as possible, but not before receiving and accepting your grant offer, as this will hopefully help to avoid issues with suppliers being unable to supply the item within the claim deadline.
• Always check that the invoices meet the scheme requirements and that they are paid in full before the claim is submitted.”

“If you are successful and one of the chosen applicants, remember that the grant-funded equipment could need to be purchased by the end of February 2020, to allow for claims to be submitted within the 150-day claim deadline.

“All items included in the grant offer must be included in a single claim, and successful applicants will need to provide photos of the actual items on their farm.”

To conclude, Emma said: “Yes, this scheme does offer a number of ways to increase productivity for farmers, however, to benefit most from the scheme, you must make sure you meet the criteria.”

For further information about the scheme, please contact your local office.