Rural Development Programme for England 200713

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Rural Development Programme for England 2007-13
European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development
Europe investing in rural areas
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Outline

• Context
• Funding opportunities for low output AD plants
• RDPE Progress to date
• Contact details
• Questions

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Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE)
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Main programme objectives Three Axes focus the
delivery of RDPE
Axis 1 - Improving the competitiveness of the
agricultural and forestry sectors Axis
2 - Improving the environment and countryside
Axis 3 Rural quality of life and
diversification of the rural economy. A
minimum of 5 of the Programme budget will be
delivered through the Leader approach, which is
a community based delivery mechanism Axis 4 -
Implementation of the Leader Approach
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Funding opportunities for low output AD plants

• Eligible in principle for RDPE support
• Two options for funding-
• R4F focus is resource use on farms and provides
  advice on energy reduction, improved nutrient use
  and RE opportunities. A consultant will visit
  the farm, make recommendations and then the farm
  can access a grant of 10K (20K for dairy farms)
  to support the cost of implementing the
  recommendations. Max grant 40. AD must be one
  of the recommendations to be eligible for support
• Farm diversification focus is the generation of
  an alternative (non food) income to the farm.
  Maximum grant levels are variable but are likely
  to be 50 max with a maximum intervention of
  500,000 Euros
• All enquiries should be routed through the SWREG
  0845 600 9966

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Funding opportunities for low output AD plants

• Renewable Obligation Certificates-
• AD eligible for double ROCs and a project can
  also benefit from RDPE support
• Income projections would need to include likely
  income from this source in order to justify the
  grant required to make any project viable
• Future of ROCs for micro generation uncertain
  with the advent of the FIT in April 2010
• Feed in Tariff-
• AD eligible for FIT but whether a project can
  benefit from RDPE grant as well is uncertain at
  this time.
• FIT may be banded as per the ROC regime so that
  innovative technology and micro installations
  gain from higher levels of support
• Long term guaranteed income but not index linked
• Possibility that all micro generation projects
  will have to fit under the FIT regime
• It may be possible to use RDPE for lagoons, etc
  and then claim the FIT to assist with generator
  costs

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Funding opportunities for low output AD plants

• Funding is also available for business planning,
  planning advice, technical consultancy, etc and
  can be accessed via SWREG
• It would be possible to form a SWREG group to
  investigate the technology in more detail e.g.
  study tour, training, consultancy
• The SWREG Knowledge Network are holding a
  workshop on AD at North Wyke Research (formerly
  IGER) on the 10th of December
• Information available on www.biogas-info.co.uk
  about AD and previous AD study into high output
  systems available on www.cornwallac.org

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RDPE Progress to date

• SW REG open for business
• VTS open for business
• R4F open for business
• S4P open for business
• SWHLI knowledge transfer element calling for
  expression of interest, more to follow in 2010
• Bodmin Moor Livestock Initiative open for
  business
• Sustainable Woodlands SW open for business
• Sustainable Rural Tourism Major schemes
  identified, 2 approved

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RDPE Progress to date business led applications

• 6 projects approved to date that have been
  offered 1.6 million of grant
• Another 5 under appraisal seeking circa 6
  million of grant support
• A further 30 under development seeking in excess
  of 4.5 million of grant
• Approximately 20 million of grant remaining in
  the pot for new projects so we are actively
  seeking project ideas.

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Contact SW Rural Enterprise Gateway 0845 600
9966 www.sw-ruralgateway.info Cornwall
Agri-Food Council Development Team www.cornwallac.
org David Rodda 01209 616097 david.rodda_at_cornwa
lldevelopmentcompany.co.uk