great news, under the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund
Thousands of grant funding agreements have been issued
I've been working with the RPA to see how we can claims paid quicker
the thing that leads to the biggest delays is claims being sent in without the right supporting information
so, it's worth taking an extra 5 minutes to check the scheme manual on GOV.UK
to make sure you are sending in the right stuff
three quarters of customers that applied to the last Countryside productivity small grant scheme
sent in invoices and bank statements that needed more information before the claim could be processed.
So, here are a few things to remember when you claim
1. make sure you send if from the email address that is registered on Rural Payments
the quicker you can get your claim in, the quicker the RPA will be able to pay you
2. Remember to fill out the claim declaration form at the bottom of your agreement
RPA won't be able to pay your claim without this
3. when you are ordering from a supplier make sure you get invoices with all the right details on them
they will need to addressed to the same business that appears in your funding agreement
if they are not, you will have to go back to the supplier to get new ones
4. make sure the bank statements you send in have all of the information the RPA need to see again, the claim will be delayed if not
and finally, don't forget to include clear photos of your items including the serial number and any CE markings
don't send in photos of kit still in its packaging as it needs to be installed and ready to use if not already in use
please don't wait until 31st October to submit your claim
do it as soon as you've paid and installed all of your items
half of all customers for the last small grant round claimed in the last two weeks
which meant it was impossible to pay everyone within the normal 30 working days
there is some great tips to help you claim in the rest of this video
check the description to find the section of the video you want to jump to
and good luck with your claim.
how to submit a Farming Equipment and Technology fund (FETF) claim for payment
successful applicants will have been emailed a Grant Funding Agreement (GFA)
which has the claim for template at the bottom of the email
Buying your items
Once you accept your GFA via the online portal which can be found on GOV.UK
you should start to buy all of the items
when buying your items you must make sure they meet the minimum specification set out in Annex 3
of the scheme manual. Only brand new items can be funded.
ex demo, second hand, part exchange or try before you buy items are not eligible
you can arrange to pay a refundable deposit with your suppliers if they agree to it
details can be found in the scheme manual
Claim submission
your grant will be paid in a single payment in arrears, which means that
you have paid for taking delivery of, installed and made operational (if required) all of the items
Step 1 filling in the claim form
complete your claim form which is found at the bottom of your GFA
press reply to your GFA email this will ensure it will come straight back to us
these details are entered already for you
complete questions 1 and 2 confirming how many invoices and bank statements your are returning with your claim
add the details requested in the table for all items in your GFA one row per item
remember to include the make and model of your item
enter your name at four noting the previous bullet points around permissions
and the date at 5
Step 2 FETF claim supporting evidence
Invoices
You need to attached scanned copies of photos of your invoices to your claim email.
Here is an example of what an invoice should look like
you should work with your supplier to make sure all invoices have this information
suppliers name and address
addressed to the same individual or business as the detailed in the GFA email
invoice date
manufactures make and model for each item
individual costs and total amount including VAT for each item
details of any refundable deposit paid
full description of each item
FET item code for each item if possible which can be found in Annex 3 of the scheme manual
suppliers VAT number
if you have made a payment to a supplier that covers more than one invoice,
you need to provide copies of all the invoices included in the payment
or, a copy of your account statement with your supplier showing how the
payment was made up
if the invoice includes additional items that were not part of your FETF application you must clearly itemize and highlight the items you are claiming for.
Invoices must be paid in full and the payment must have left your bank account before submitting your claim
Step 3 Supporting evidence
Payments/ Defrayal
you need to include copies of your bank or building society statements
or business credit card statements
to show that all invoices have been paid in full by your business.
Alternatively, you can send screenshots from an online account, showing payment details
and the bank or building society logos or a certified report printed by your bank.
Here is an example of what a bank or building society statement should look like
you can blank out other personal information that isn't needed
but bank or building society statements must still clearly show
bank or building society name and logo
account number and sort code
date the payment evidence was generated if applicable
business name as listed on your GFA
transaction amount
transaction date
transaction type including PAYE reference check
Step 4 Supporting Evidence
Photos
your claim must be supported with photographs of each item which must
show the item specification and the item in situ and working
be clear, in focus, in colour and clear show the item with no other objects
for example you don't need to have animals in crushes or handling systems
include the make and model number
include the serial number and UKCA or CE marking
must be smaller than 600 x 400 pixels
and ideally no larger than 400 Kilobytes
clearly show the layout for handling system
avoid taking photos which identify individuals
including employees unless you have obtained their permission to share their personal information with us.
We may ask you to provide an electronic copy of the installation and operating manual for items to help verify the item is eligible.
Claim Acknowledgement
You will receive an automated email response from the FETF claims inbox
to confirm we've received your claim
Payment
Your grant will be paid directly into the bank or building society account
attached to your main business SBI number
registered in the Rural Payments Service.
It is your responsibility to make sure this is a valid account for your business
failure to do so will result in your claim payment being delayed.
We aim to pay your claim as soon as possible
either within 30 working days of receipt of your claim evidence or within the agreed published timescale.
If there are any issues it may take longer
items bought with grant funding must be kept in situ operational (if required) and in good repair for five years from the date of the claim payment
if you wish to up spec the grant funding kit within the retention period
you are permitted to do this, but must obtain RPA permission first
you can use the original kit to part fund the new kit which you have to keep/ use for the remainder of the 5 year retention period
Contact us
If you have any queries or you've made a mistake when preparing your claim
please email us at FETFClaims@rpa.gov.uk
or you can call us on 03000 200 301 and choose the option for the Farming and Equipment and Technology Fund.
Please quote your reference number when calling
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