In accordance with EU Regulations the facilitator is the beneficiary under the new Knowledge Transfer Programme.
This means the facilitator is responsible for reimbursing the participant in respect of the Knowledge Transfer Programme.
In this regard, the Department will issue the farmer payment to the facilitator upon successful completion of the programme on an annual basis and upon receipt of proof that this has issued to the individual farmer issue the facilitator element.
According to the Deparment’s latest specifications for the scheme participants shall provide the Knowledge Transfer Group facilitator and the Department with details of their nominated bank account into which such reimbursement shall be paid.
This reimbursement shall be €750 per participant where all the Terms & Conditions of the Knowledge Transfer Programme have been met.
The facilitator payment in respect of the Knowledge Transfer Programme shall be €500 per participant where all the Terms & Conditions of the Programme have been met.
Facilitators shall reimburse the Knowledge Transfer participant via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) within ten working days of payment by the Department.
Payment to Knowledge Transfer Group facilitators shall issue after the Department has received confirmation of payment to all participants.
Earlier this summer the Department tendered for expressions of interest in the new programme and received from 577 facilitators.
According to the Department 471 facilitators have been approved to-date. The Department has committed to funding 27,000 farmers over the three-year period of programme.