News

In this client update, we remind farming and agricultural clients that the deadline is approaching this Friday 30 July for the Rural Business Grant Scheme.

COVID 19

Rural Business Development Grant Scheme

Grant aid between £500 - £4,999 is available for project costs of up to £20,000 for micro enterprises based in a rural areas, through the Rural Business Development Grant Scheme.

Launched by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), this scheme aims to provide financial aid to small rural businesses to assist them in their sustainability and development, in addition to support Covid-19 recovery.

Eligible projects must clearly address the issue of rural poverty and/or social isolation and applicants must provide a minimum of 50% match funding for their project idea.

Applications are encouraged from rural micro businesses who did not receive the grant in the 2019 or 2020 Schemes.

The deadline for applications is 12 noon on Friday 30 July 2021.

For further information on the scheme, click here. 

Energy Efficiency Capital Grant (EECG) – Opens for a Second Call

This Invest Northern Ireland Scheme has opened for applications, aiming to help businesses recover from COVID-19 and build resilience through green efficiency. This grant scheme provides financial support for businesses to help with the installation of energy efficiency equipment, offering greater efficiency in the use of energy, providing cost and carbon savings.

Through the scheme, businesses can access up to a maximum grant of £80,000 to support 20% of eligible costs to cover the cost of new energy efficiency equipment.

EECG is open to existing Invest NI customers and businesses eligible to become Invest NI customers.
The closing date for applications is 5pm on Monday 13 September 2021, however CavanaghKelly would encourage interested clients to apply early as the scheme may close earlier than this, when all funding has been allocated.

For further information on the scheme and eligibility criteria, click here.

InterTradeIreland E-Merge Vouchers

The E-Merge programme provides £2500/€2800 fully-funded consultancy support to help businesses develop online sales and eCommerce solutions

Support is provided in a range of areas including website management, promotion and selling online and online payment systems

For further details, click here.

Seasonal Agricultural Workers to Avail of Exemptions from Covid-19 Travel Restrictions

Migrant workers arriving into Northern Ireland via the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme, will now qualify for exemptions from COVID-19 related travel restrictions. 

The Seasonal Agricultural Workers Pilot Scheme for 2021 will grant self-isolation exemptions for seasonal agricultural workers, who have an offer of employment to carry out specific activities in edible horticulture on a named farm, when undertaking the exempt activity, if they have travelled from an amber list country. Eligible workers will be able to avail of an exemption from self-isolation while working as long as they undertake Lateral Flow Device tests on days 2, 5 and 8 following arrival.

For further information, click here.

Mid Ulster Business Marketing Grants Scheme

From Monday 2nd August at 9am, eligible businesses within the Mid Ulster Council areas can apply for a £300 Mid Ulster Business Marketing Grant. The aim of the scheme is to support the immediate needs of Mid Ulster businesses to help promote their business during the recovery phase of the COVID 19 pandemic. 

The scheme is available to eligible commercial businesses within the Mid Ulster area. Applications must be completed in full and online.

CavanaghKelly advises eligible clients to apply early, as demand for the scheme is expected to be high and grants will be allocated on a first come, first served basis, until all funding has been allocated.

Who can apply?

• Applicants must be an eligible commercial business actively trading and currently located within the Mid Ulster District Council area
• Applicants must be able to provide HMRC self-assessment number or company number

All queries regarding the scheme should be emailed to: marketinggrant@midulstercouncil.org

For further information, click here.

Second Call Open for the Supply Chain Resilience Development Framework (SCRDF)
 
This Invest NI scheme, aiming to help companies improve their supply chain resilience and competitiveness following Covid-19 and the EU Exit, has reopened for applications. 

SCRDF provides a 3-step graduated framework of support for eligible businesses, primarily providing specialist advisory support to help identify supply chain risks and mitigations, identify supply chain opportunities and develop supply chain capability.

SRCDF is open to manufacturers and internationally tradeable services which meet the following criteria:

• Based and operating in Northern Ireland
• Manufacture products or provide internationally traded services
• Have a total supply chain spend of at least £100,000 in the 2019/2020 financial year
• Can demonstrate that your supply chain has been negatively impacted by COVID-19 or EU Exit
• Can demonstrate your business has, or will, reach a turnover of £250,000 per annum in the next five  years, and achieve at least 25% of those sales outside of Northern Ireland; or be an existing Invest NI customer 
• Be able to complete a State Aid declaration, if financial support for a new key supply chain worker is determined

For further information on the scheme and how to apply, click here.

The programme will close to applications at 5pm on Friday 29 October 2021, or earlier if the available budget has been fully allocated. In this instance, we would encourage clients to apply early.

EU Exit

Movement Assistance Scheme Extended

The Movement Assistance Scheme which helps to cover the costs of inspecting and certifying agri-food goods will continue to run until the end of December 2023.
Under the scheme, traders do not need to pay for the inspection or certification of:
•    live animals and animal products
•    plants and plant products
•    some categories of high-risk food and feed not of animal origin
•    organic products

For further information on the scheme and additional guidance, click here. 

Other Support

Farming Business Improvement Scheme (FBIS-C)

Whilst it has not yet been confirmed that the Farm Business Improvement Scheme (FBIS-C) Capital Tier 2 will reopen for applications, The Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) is asking farming businesses to submit online Expression of Interest (EOI) applications, which sets out an eligible proposed capital spend project.

DAERA has indicated that should a second tranche of FBIS-C Tier 2 open for applications, the online EOI application process is the first stage in applying for the support and must be completed by 4pm on Friday 13 August by anyone who intends to make a full application.

Therefore, CavanaghKelly would advise farming businesses interested in the FBIS-C Tier 2, to submit an EOI application as soon as possible. Click here for the Expression of Interest form. 

Stage two of the FBIS-C application process includes a full application and is separate to the EOI.
Please note that the EOI does not give farming businesses a definite commitment from DAERA to proceed with a full application for the scheme.

Additionally, applicants to the scheme must have a valid DAERA Category 1 Farm Business ID. Details on how to apply for a DAERA Farm Business ID can be found here. 

Applicants to the scheme must be prepared to submit a strong, viable and sustainable business plan as part of their full application, which demonstrates that they have taken the time to plan their investment and the difference that the proposed project could make in transforming their farm into a more sustainable and efficient business. 

CavanaghKelly’s advisory department can support farming clients in the second stage of their application for the scheme, helping them to create a robust and sustainable farming business plan. 

If you have any questions, please contact us.