Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) European Agricultural - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)

12th September 2017

9.30am Arrival and Refreshments 10.00am Welcome and Opening - Cllr Mrs Pam Posnett 10.10am EAFRD: National Perspective - Melanie Fischer 10.30am EAFRD: Local Perspective - Peter McLaren 10.40am LLEP Sector Growth Plans - Mary-Louise Harrison 10.50am Q & A / Next Steps 11.15am Coffee and Networking

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Rural Development Programme for England – Growth Programme

Rural Development Rural Payments Agency

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Purpose

• Overview of the Rural Development Programme for England
• Grant funding available
• Application process and timescales
• Further information and support

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RDPE Growth Programme grants

• In January 2017 Defra launched £120m RDPE Growth Programme calls for

the following EAFRD socio-economic projects

• Food Processing
• Tourism Infrastructure
• Business Development (no separate Business Development call

currently available in LLEP area)

• Open until January 2018 for Expressions of Interest
• Two stage application process
• Expression of Interest
• Full Application
• Information about the grants is available on GOV.UK in 3 theme handbooks

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RDPE Growth Programme background

• The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) delivers the grants, working with European

Structural and Investment Fund (ESIF) Sub-Committees in Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEP) areas

• Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are partnerships between public bodies and
• businesses. Their role is to decide local priorities for the grants – where money should

be directed to give the most benefit locally

• RPA assesses all applications to see how well they fit the priorities for funding and

which projects provide best value for taxpayers’ money

• As part of the assessment RPA seeks advice from the ESIF sub-committees in each

LEP area

• You can only apply to one source of Rural Development Programme for England

funding per project. You should apply to the LEP’s call where your project best meets their identified local priorities

• You won’t automatically get a grant. When you apply for a grant, you’re competing

with other applicants in your LEP area

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Tourism Infrastructure and Food Processing

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Tourism Infrastructure

Who can apply?

• For projects that will make a profit only micro and small rural businesses and farmers who

want to diversify can apply

• E.g. projects to create tourist attractions or accommodation
• If the project won’t make a profit a wide range of organisations can apply (including public

bodies)

• E.g. small building for tourist information, cycle paths, free tourist attraction such as a

local landmark

Who can’t apply?

• Crown bodies
• Projects that are carried out only to meet a legal requirement

What are the grants for?

• The grants will help fund the costs of capital expenditure
• The aim is to support projects that will encourage more tourists to come, to stay longer and

to spend more money in rural areas

How much money can you apply for?

• Minimum: £35,000. This will vary in other LEP areas
• Maximum: State aid rules limit funding to €200,000, around £170,000
• Grants can cover up to 40% of the eligible costs of a commercial project

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Tourism Infrastructure - examples

• Example 1 - Capital investment in visitor attractions A business is building a

new visitor attraction for families. This will add to the range of attractions already in the area. It will make the area more attractive to tourists and increase the number of visitors. Because the new visitor attraction is all-weather, it will help extend the tourist season in the area – which means other tourism businesses, like restaurants and accommodation providers, will also benefit. The project will create 1.5 full time jobs.

• Example 2 - Building new access infrastructure The local district council is

investing in paths to connect up a number of existing footpaths, cycle ways and

• bridleways. This will create a network of easily accessible circular routes of

between 4 and 15 miles, which will make the area more attractive for walking and cycling.

• Example 3 - Extending a local museum A local heritage museum (which is free

to enter) wants to build a second viewing gallery, so it can display more of its

• collection. The new gallery will include a small area for a cafe. The new gallery

and cafe mean that visitors will stay longer at the museum. The project will create 2 new full time jobs.

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Tourism Infrastructure – National Priorities

National priorities for funding – details available in the Handbook Your project is more likely to get a grant if it achieves at least 2 of these;

• Create jobs - Creates at create at least 1 FTE job for every £30,000 of grant
• funding. Creates skilled jobs
• Extend the tourism season - Attracts tourists outside the usual period of

May to October

• Develop tourist attractions and infrastructure - Creates or develops

tourist attractions and infrastructure to increase the range of attractions available locally, encourage tourists to stay longer and increase their spend

• Collaborate - Encourages collaboration and links between local tourism

businesses

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Food Processing

Who can apply?

• Food and drink businesses that process agricultural and horticultural products

Who can’t apply?

• Non-departmental public bodies or Crown bodies
• Members of Producer Organisations under the Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Aid

Scheme who have (or can get) a grant for the same project through their operational programme

• Projects that are carried out only to meet a legal requirement

What are the grants for?

• Capital grants to help rural businesses grow and create more jobs
• constructing or improving buildings
• buying new equipment and machinery

How much money can you apply for?

• Minimum: £35,000. This will vary in other LEP areas
• Maximum: £500,000. This will vary in other LEP areas
• Grant intervention dependent on nature of activity, with 40% maximum

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Food Processing - examples

Example 1 - Meat processing A processing business wants to expand its meat cutting and packing facilities. This will allow it to meet new orders from both the domestic and export markets for products with local provenance. The business will produce ready to-cook consumer packs, including whole cuts, mince and sausage. No other products and no further processing will take

• place. The business will form a group of local farmers to supply the new orders

– some of these already supply the business, some are new suppliers. These suppliers will be paid a premium per kg deadweight over the normal purchase price paid by the applicant business.

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Food Processing - examples

• Example 2 - Milk processing A group of farmers are setting up a business

to create a new milk processing facility. The farmers are working with a regional retailer that is committed to developing local supply chains for the dairy products sold in their stores. The new milk processing business has secured a rolling 5-year deal for supply based on the cost of production and has identified opportunities for production of yoghurt in future years.

• Example 3 - Fruit processing An established soft fruit packing business is

creating a facility to process lower-quality, lower-value soft fruit. The project will supply the growing market for fruit smoothies, purees and juices. The project includes new processing and freezing techniques which allow year- round supply of products. The business has secured forward orders from a national restaurant chain. The project will give the business a better profit margin on low-quality fruit, and the business has committed to paying 20% of the increased profit to suppliers through a bonus mechanism.

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Food Processing – National Priorities

National priorities for funding – details available in the Handbook Your project is more likely to get a grant if it achieves at least 2 of these;

• Create jobs - Creates at least 1 FTE job for every £30,000 of grant funding
• Grow your business - Increases the turnover and profitability of a business
• Benefit the supply chain - Provides direct benefits to the farmers and

growers who supply the raw materials, particularly local farmers and growers

• Access new markets - Helps you sell more products locally, nationally and

through exports

• Show innovation - Introduces new techniques, equipment or processes to a

business

• Create joint ventures and partnerships - Creates new and useful links

between businesses – for example between growers and processors

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Application Process

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Expression of Interest

• Expression of Interest is to assess whether your proposed project
• is eligible for RDPE funding
• ‘fits’ with local priorities for grant support
• Short form seeking key information
• Please answer each question
• RPA will aim to provide an outcome 30 working days (6 weeks) after

submission, including seeking a view on ‘strategic fit’ from your local European Structural and Investment Fund (ESIF) Sub-Committee

• Expression of Interest forms, guidance and handbooks are available on this

website: https://www.gov.uk/goverment/publications/rdpe-growth-programme

• Or, search ‘RDPE growth programme grant’
• Completed Expression of Interest forms should be e-mailed to:

growthapps@rpa.gsi.gov.uk

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Full Application

• RPA will require a full business case to make a funding decision on your

project.

• Full application stage remains competitive
• Full Application form and guidance
• Advice from our review of your Expression of Interest
• Invitation to a workshop
• You will be given a specific RPA point of contact to answer queries
• We will agree a submission date with you, but given the limited time

available, you should aim to submit your application as soon as possible

• It can take a number of months to pull together your application
• When submitting your Full Application you will need to have:
• All required approvals in place (such as planning permission)
• Evidence of match funding
• Evidence of the need and demand for the project
• Three like for like quotes for each item to demonstrate value for money

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Ineligible costs (see also list in handbook)

Some examples:

• Costs of refurbishment and simple like-for-like replacement of buildings,

machinery or equipment

• Leasing contract costs – like lessor’s margin, interest refinancing costs,
• verheads and insurance charges
• Costs of computers, software or printers used in general running the

business (e.g. accounts or processing orders)

• Salaries or running costs
• Developing or setting up agricultural businesses
• Costs of marketing and promotion
• Contributions in kind

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LEADER Funding

• Another avenue for securing RDPE funding support is through LEADER
• LEADER funding is delivered through 80 Local Action Groups across England,

supported by an accountable body, providing grants to enable jobs and Growth

• Two groups in Leicestershire – East Leicestershire and North Warwickshire and

Hinckley & Bosworth

• LEADER funding is available for similar types of activity, but often offer support at

a lower threshold – grants can be available from £2,500 upwards

• You cannot apply to LEADER and Growth funding for the same project
• In developing your project, it may be worth considering which fund is more

appropriate for you (depending on the scale and type of activity)

• https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rural-development-programme-for-england-leader-

funding

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Growth Programme Top Tips

• Jobs & Growth – whole purpose of the Growth programme is to create jobs

and economic growth across rural areas, so tell us how your project will do this

• Sell us your idea – explain clearly what your project does and how will

benefit your business and the economy

• Don’t ask for full amount if you don’t need it – we will assess your

application for public funds represents value for money, in a competitive

• process. Just because you can apply up to 40% doesn’t mean you will

receive it, you should apply for the least amount required to enable your project to take place

• Show us what the grant funding means to your project – why is it critical

you receive public money to enable it to happen

• Do the market research – you have to be able to evidence that there is a

real need and demand for what you want to do

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Further information / other RDPE funds available

• All information is on the GOV.UK website
• Handbooks, Expression of Interest Form and Guidance
• https://www.gov.uk/goverment/publications/rdpe-growth-programme
• Please also contact the RPA if you would like to discuss your project or

would like any further advice Rural Payments helpline: 03000 200 301 (select the Rural Development option) Email: GPEnquiries@rpa.gsi.gov.uk

• Completed Expressions of Interest should be attached to an email and sent

to growthapps@rpa.gsi.gov.uk

• Countryside Productivity – Water Resource Management and Forestry

Productivity grants recently opened - see https://www.gov.uk/guidance/countryside-productivity-scheme

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EAFRD Local Perspective

Peter McLaren Economic Growth Manager Leicestershire County Council

12th September 2017

Tourism Infrastructure (Why?)

• Now (by 2020) = 20,000+ jobs (30,000); 29m

visitors (35m); £1.5bn GVA (£2.2bn)

• Build on the strong asset base and local
• pportunities for development
• Improve infrastructure to support and enable

sustained growth, including skills and staff retention

• Support inward investment and destination

marketing

• Promote diversification opportunities in rural areas

LLEP Tourism & Hospitality Sector Growth Plan and Infographic: https://www.llep.org.uk//content/uploads/2015/09/LLEP-Tourism-and-Hospitality-Sector-Growth-Plan.pdf https://www.llep.org.uk/content/uploads/2016/04/LLEP-tourism-Infographic_100416.pdf

Tourism Infrastructure (What?)

Grants from £35,000 up to £170,000 for capital investments in rural areas to create visitor attractions and tourism infrastructure that will attract more visitors who stay longer and spend more money. Priority will be given to projects that:

• create new and expand existing attractions and

visitor accommodation to bring more visitors to the area and extend the normal tourism season

• create or expand access infrastructure such as cycle

ways or footpaths, allowing more visitors to engage in local heritage & cultural offers and/or the natural environment

• benefit the wider visitor economy and local

businesses

Food Processing (Why?)

• 12,000 jobs; £0.6bn GVA; 1,500 businesses –

strong heritage and provenance; diverse product base

• Need to tackle skills shortfall (attract, recruit,

train, retain)

• Address infrastructure needs, such as premises,

connectivity

• Support innovation in products and processes

and promote export

LLEP Food & Drink Sector Growth Plan and Infographic: http://www.llep.org.uk/content/uploads/2015/06/LLEP-Food-and-Drink-Sector-Growth-Plan.pdf https://www.llep.org.uk/content/uploads/2016/04/LLEP-fooddrink-Infographic_100416.pdf

Food Processing (What?)

Grants from £35,000 to £500,000 to support growth in food & drink processing businesses Priority will be given to projects that:

• create new higher skilled and sustainable jobs above

the current average skill level of jobs in the business

• adopt new techniques which increase productivity
• bring new local brand products to the market and so

expand the business’s range

• utilise the local supply chain or demonstrate wider

benefits that will be delivered to the local economy

• introduce more efficient and/or low carbon processes

within the business, as part of a larger project

East Leicestershire LEADER

Priority Grants Call Window Farming Productivity £7,500 - £75,000 25th Sept – 1st December Support for SME and Farm Diversification £7,500 - £75,000 (Food & drink £35,000) 25th Sept – 1st December Forestry & Rural Services £2,500 - £75,000 Open Tourism & Cultural Heritage £7,500 - £35,000 Currently Closed reviewed November

Contact: Richard Erwin-Jones (0116 3056298)

eastleicestershireleader@leics.gov.uk www.oakleaves.org.uk

North Warwickshire and Hinckley & Bosworth LEADER

• Smaller rural tourism projects that develop high

quality visitor products and services, also includes cultural and heritage activity which positively impacts local heritage assets for grants between £2,500 - £35,000.

• Developing or starting a micro and small business,

including farm diversification projects and food processing for grants between £4,000 - £35,000

• Next call for these projects will open on 13th October

and close on 11th December 2017

• Contact:

The LEADER Team – 01827 719 271 leaderproject@northwarks.gov.uk www.englandsruralheart.org

EAFRD LLEP Perspective

Mary-Louise Harrison Senior Programmes Manager Leicester & Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership

12th September 2017

Food & Drink

• Key Report Findings:
• Skilled Labour - Action needs to be taken to

address the shortfall in skilled labour

• Business Support –better access to innovation

and resources needed

• Branding & Promotion
• more needs to be

done to highlight all of the different types of businesses in the F & D sector

• Transport & Connectivity – great place to

have your business

• Place – better availability of premises with good

connectivity needed

Tourism & Hospitality

• The key Report findings are:
• Growing – Tourism on the up but need to

ensure that our visitor attractions attract and maintain “excellence”

• Skilled Labour - Action needs to be taken to

address the shortfall in skilled labour

• Business Support – less on new start-ups and

more on developing and supporting existing businesses

• Place – better connectivity between

accommodation and places of interest needed

• Branding & Promotion – people need to know

what is out there!