Closing date looms for Tier 1 of £40million Capital grant scheme

Agriculture Minister Michelle McIlveen today reminded farmers and growers that applications for Tier 1 of the Farm Business Improvement Scheme (FBIS) – Capital Scheme will close on 16 December 2016.

Miss McIlveen said: “£40million has been allocated for the FBIS Capital Scheme and there has already been a great deal of interest in applying for grant aid under Tier 1 of the scheme. I’m very encouraged by this.

“For those who have yet to submit an application for Tier 1, I would urge you to do so before the scheme closes at 4pm on Friday 16 December 2016.”

Miss McIlveen urged farmers to ensure that they had taken all the necessary steps before submitting an application for grant aid. 

She continued: “Applicants should approach their bank or lending institution as soon as possible to give lenders time to complete their input to the Indication of Support letter to confirm funds are available for the applicant’s project. 

“I would also recommend that farmers and growers think carefully when choosing items from the list of eligible items and would encourage them to go for the more highly rated items where this suits their business needs.” 

Each item on the list has been assigned to one of three RDP theme bands with Band 1 receiving the maximum 40 marks; Band 2, 34 marks; and Band 3, the minimum 28 marks.  If the application has items across the three bands then the mark awarded under this criterion will be that of the lowest band item applied for. Therefore, applicants can optimise their marks by choosing band 1 items, provided, of course, these are items that will benefit the business.

Miss McIlveen added: “If potential applicants need information on the application process I would advise them to view the DAERA website in the first instance to familiarise themselves with the tools and information available, including the ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ which is updated regularly.” 

Help is also available by email at tier1@countrysideservices.com or via the Helpline at 0845 026 7535. 

The Minister concluded: “I want to thank all the farmers and growers who attended the recent roadshows that took place across Northern Ireland. I was delighted to meet some of you at the Armagh venue and hear your comments about the Scheme. My officials are continuing to work to ensure that as many farmers as possible can avail of the scheme and submit applications by 16 December.” 

Notes to editors: 

1. Tier 1 of the Farm Business Improvement Scheme (FBIS) – Capital Scheme is designed to support farm sustainability and provides grant to purchase equipment and machinery from a pre-defined list of eligible items. This Tier is for projects costing £5,000 to £30,000 (eligible costs), based on reference pricing. The grant rate is 40 percent of eligible costs. The maximum grant available to a successful applicant of Tier 1 only is £12,000 over the lifetime of the RDP 2014-2020. 
2. Applications for Tier 1, Tranche 1 of the FBIS – Capital Scheme have been accepted from 4pm on the 31 October 2016 and the closing date for receipt of applications is 4pm on 16 December 2016. 
3. Advice on the application process for Tier 1 applications to Tranche 1 of the FBIS – Capital Scheme is available on the DAERA website.
4. In completing an application form, applicants must select items from a reference priced list of eligible items available on the DAERA website.
5. The DAERA Indication of Support template letter or ‘bank letter’ is a key requirement for both tiers of the Scheme. It can be found on the DAERA website.
6. Further information can be found in the Contact section of the Farm Business Improvement Scheme – Capital Scheme webpages on the DAERA website.
7. For Tier 1 specific queries help is available by email at tier1@countrysideservices.com or via the Helpline at 0845 026 7535. For Tier 2 specific queries, help is also available via the Helpline or by email at tier2@daera-ni.gov.uk.
8. Follow us on Twitter @daera_ni.
9. All media queries should be directed to the DAERA Press Office on 028 9052 4619 or email DAERA Press Office: pressoffice.group@daera-ni.gov.uk. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07623 974 383 and your call will be returned.

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