The Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (WFCIS) under the new Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS 3) has opened for applications.
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) said that the scheme provides an incentive to women farmers to upgrade their agricultural buildings and equipment with an increased level of support.
The WFCIS, the final scheme to open in TAMS 3, aims to promote gender equality, employment, growth, generation renewal and social inclusion by supporting the participation of women in farming, the department said.
TAMS
Under the scheme, grant aid is paid at the rate of 60% up to a maximum of €90,000/holding.
The DAFM said that multiple applications per tranche are allowed, however the minimum amount of investment which is eligible for approval under this scheme is €2,000/application.
Applicants who receive approval to proceed with investment works at the maximum ceiling of €90,000 under this scheme are not eligible to apply for grants under any other TAMS II scheme with the exception of the Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) Equipment Scheme.
In the case of an application by two or more eligible partners, the maximum increases to €160,000.
The scheme is open to women farmers aged from 18 to 67 at the date of submitting the application form.
The applicant must be named on herd number for the holding – the herd must have a BPS application in year 2022 – and be able to demonstrate management and control of the holding.
Where the reference year requirements are not met, applicants must have completed one of a list of educational courses outlined on the DAFM website, or an equivalent course, within 36 months from the date of issue of department approval to commence works.
Where this deadline for completion of the educational requirements is not respected, grant aid will be paid at the standard rate of 40%.
Applicants must own or have leasehold title to the site on which it is proposed to carry out the development, have a minimum of 5ha declared under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) or the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) or equivalent in the year of application or preceding year.
For tillage related investments, applicants must have a minimum of 15ha of eligible crops or in the case of intensive enterprises, generate a minimum of 20 production units from farming,
In the case of equine investments only, they are required to have a minimum of three equines declared on the Equine Census or equivalent in the year preceding application.
Applications under the WFCIS for all milking machines are restricted to holdings of no more than 120 dairy cows on average over the calendar year preceding the date of application.
Applications under this scheme for all milking machine investments must have at least 10% additional slurry storage above the legal minimum.
Within the five years prior to the date of application or submission of a payment claim, all applicants must have completed the half day Farm Safety Code of Practice or have completed the Green Cert.
A full list of eligible investments under this TAMS scheme is available on the DAFM website.
The deadline for Tranche 1 TAMS 3 applications is Friday, June 30, 2023.