Applications to the Succession Planning Advice Grant (SPAG) scheme launched by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), will close this week.
The grant provides a maximum payment of €1,500 to help farmers aged 60 years and above to seek succession planning advice, covering up to 50% of vouched legal, accounting and advisory costs.
Applications may be submitted all year round, but payments will be made in tranches. This year’s applications will close this Sunday, December 31, 2023.
Tranche 1 payments will be made in the first quarter (Q1) of 2024. Payments will issue in Q1 of the following year after application up until 2027, the DAFM said.
Farmers may qualify for this grant if they are:
- Aged 60 years and above who is currently not in a succession partnership;
- Farming at least a minimum of 3ha of land at the time of the application;
- Farming for a minimum of 2 years prior to application.
Only fully completed applications with the following documents will be processed. The following must be submitted:
- Completed checklist;
- Completed application form;
- Proof of age;
- Proof of address;
- Copies of all invoices claimed;
- Proof of payment for all invoices.
The terms and conditions of the scheme can be found on the DAFM website, including details of eligible expenses.
Succession scheme
The SPAG is part of the Registered Farm Partnership Section. A dedicated email address and phone number can be found on the DAFM website under “Succession Planning Advice Grant”.
The scheme to encourage farm succession was announced by Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue in August this year.
Minister McConalogue said that while not unique to Ireland, there are “considerable demographic challenges” in the agriculture sector.
“This scheme will help older farmers to plan for their future and the future of their farms,” Minister McConalogue said announcing the launch of the scheme.