INTRODUCTION
1. These Guidance Notes explain how the Expression of Interest (EOI) process for the Food Business Investment Scheme (FBIS) will be operated.
2. Please read these notes carefully. You will also need to refer to:
- the Welsh Government Rural Communities - Rural Development Programme 2014-20 Expression of Interest Guidance Notes
- the Guidance Notes for the Food Business Investment Scheme.
These can be found at the web address below;
TIMESCALES
3. Dates will be published on the Welsh Government (WG) website (see link above) on a rolling two year basis, and are subject to review. This will enable applicants to forward plan their application to meet their business needs in terms of timescales.
FUNDS AVAILABLE
4. Round 8 of FBIS has a budget of £2,000,000
5. Projects will be capped at the grant requested on the EOI Application, therefore applicants are advised to obtain realistic costings for the lifetime of the project.
Maximum Grant Rate: £500,000 - Applicants may apply more than once throughout the duration of the scheme but only one application can be live at any time.
Minimum Grant: £2,400
Grant Intervention Rate:
Where both the input and output are agricultural products, the maximum grant rates are as follows:
SMEs – up to 40% of total eligible investment cost regardless of location.
Large Enterprises – up to 20% of the total investment cost regardless of location.
Where the input is an agricultural product but the output is a non-agricultural product, the maximum grant rates are as follows:
Less Developed Areas:
Micro and Small Enterprises – up to 40% of the total eligible investment cost.
Medium Enterprises – up to 35% of the total eligible investment cost.
Other Areas:
SME’s – up to 40% of the total investment costs but limited to a maximum
grant threshold of €200,000 over any period of three fiscal years regardless
of location.
Or:
Micro and Small Enterprises – up to 20% of the total eligible investment
cost.
Medium Enterprises – up to 10% of the total eligible investment cost.
Large Enterprises – up to 20% of the total investment costs but limited to a maximum grant threshold of €200,000 over any period of three fiscal years regardless of location.
WHO CAN APPLY
6. Businesses involved in primary and / or secondary processing of agricultural
products, such as: sole traders, voluntary sector organisations, private and public
limited companies (Micro, Small, Medium and Large enterprises), farm businesses that want to process their own agricultural products, new businesses, including start-up businesses.
SCORING METHODOLOGY AND CRITERIA
7. Projects will be scored using the EOI selection criteria on page 4 of this document. Only relevant information contained within the EOI can be considered.
HOW TO APPLY
8. For full details of how to apply please refer to the Expression of Interest Guidance Notes document at the link referenced above.
9. EOI applications must be completed on the application form at the end of this document.
10. Applicants should complete the EOI form electronically. Sections can be expanded as required. Please note that all the information must be provided within the EOI form. Additional documents or supporting information will not be accepted at EOI stage.
11. Applications should be submitted via email to: FoodBIS@gov.wales applications should be submitted from the applicant email address or a scanned signed copy via an agent.
12. All Applicants must have registered on RPW Online prior to the closing date of the EOI as all invites to Full Application will be made via RPW Online.
13. All EOI’s will be scored and ranked in order of the scoring criteria. EOI’s will be selected based on their ranking until the point at which the window budget is fully committed.
14. NO EOI application will be accepted after the stated closing date.
FBIS application form can be found here: https://gov.wales/food-business-investment-scheme-expression-interest-criteria-and-application-form