The RPA grant funding stupid questions time

[Drillman]

So we’ve put in for a grant under the FETF scheme and now the RPA are wanting to know how we intend to fund it before they decide if there going to pay there bit or not!

Now bear in mind this is for something where not only hasnt the grant been approved yet but the supplier has been told that no grant = no order.

So in effect the RPA wish to know how I’m going to pay for something now that I haven’t yet ordered and won’t be ordering unless there going to contribute. It looks like there assuming we have a large wedge of wonga sat on deposit for just a situation Just in case they say yes

truth of the matter is if they say no it ain’t gonna happen regardless.

Currently I’m seriously considering sending them a photo of the shed full of store cattle were fattening and say the plan is to flog this lot which will more than pay for the machine in question.

obviously the other option is for the work shy clowns to pull there finger out and pay us like they promised for the massive amount of hedge planting we’ve just completed. That would nicely cover it as well!

being back the good old days of IACS it was a lot simpler and we could have said yes to the machine of a lower spec that the dealer already has in his yard which was a wedge cheaper.

 

[GEMS]

What a bizarre question ??
Would saying we will write a chq from the farm bussiness account offend them?
How you get the funds into the account is none of their businees imho !!!

 

[Goweresque]

Is this not a case of 'Any (reasonable) answer will do because they have a box that requires you to provide an answer' rather than 'We need to provide the 'correct' answer'? We tend to assume that there must be a 'right' answer to questions, when often its just that whoever designed the system thought that it might be useful to obtain some bit of information, and so included a a question on it, but its not really relevant to whether you get approved or not. You only get pulled up if you leave it blank.

I'd be tempted to put something along the lines of 'From retained business profits/from liquidation of stock/from a bank loan or overdraft' [delete as appropriate].

 

[Wesley]

Look at it from another angle…I wonder how many grants never get used because someone likes the idea of some shiny new equipment, applies for the grant then realises that they never really had any hope of affording it. Every person that does this has probably caused someone else to be turned down because the pot of money wasn’t going to stretch far enough. Asking this may mean you’ve got a greater chance of being accepted if it weeds a few of the dreamers out. It’s a pretty basic question…overdraft, savings, short term loan etc. They may even want a letter from the bank or accountant as proof. But its pretty easy to sort.
I’m guessing it’s a pretty substantial item, not just like a couple hundred quid cctv camera?
Answer their basic questions, take their money & smile because they’ve just chucked a heap of money at you for very little effort.

 

[milkloss]

I find these grants a little odd. Probably because I haven’t got the free cash for my portion of the cost!
The ones that really need a leg up are left behind….. perhaps that’s the plan?

 

[David1968]

Currently I’m seriously considering sending them a photo of the shed full of store cattle were fattening and say the plan is to flog this lot which will more than pay for the machine in question.

Are they Buffalo? Tell them your crowdfunding it

 

[upnortheast]

1st CS scheme we applied for ( total value, circa £50 k needed a letter from accountant confirming we had the means to fund it.
Haven't asked for subsequent schemes. @Wesley reasons above make sense.

 

[ajd132]

Tell them how you will pay for it. They want to give you lots of money, stop moaning!

 

[JP1]

Tell them how you will pay for it. They want to give you lots of money, stop moaning!

Thought the same . Maybe it’s a way of checking you’re not borrowing the money or paying on a credit card etc

 

[Bald Rick]

So we’ve put in for a grant under the FETF scheme and now the RPA are wanting to know how we intend to fund it before they decide if there going to pay there bit or not!

Now bear in mind this is for something where not only hasnt the grant been approved yet but the supplier has been told that no grant = no order.

So in effect the RPA wish to know how I’m going to pay for something now that I haven’t yet ordered and won’t be ordering unless there going to contribute. It looks like there assuming we have a large wedge of wonga sat on deposit for just a situation Just in case they say yes

truth of the matter is if they say no it ain’t gonna happen regardless.

Currently I’m seriously considering sending them a photo of the shed full of store cattle were fattening and say the plan is to flog this lot which will more than pay for the machine in question.

obviously the other option is for the work shy clowns to pull there finger out and pay us like they promised for the massive amount of hedge planting we’ve just completed. That would nicely cover it as well!

being back the good old days of IACS it was a lot simpler and we could have said yes to the machine of a lower spec that the dealer already has in his yard which was a wedge cheaper.

If it's similar to the Welsh scheme, you have to pay in full for the item(s) first - and prove it via a bank statement - before they will settle the grant.
Or in other words, you fund it 100% before getting grant money.
Then you can put it on HP or whatever.

When funds are tight, its often a deal breaker

 

[davidroberts30]

If it's similar to the Welsh scheme, you have to pay in full for the item(s) first - and prove it via a bank statement - before they will settle the grant.
Or in other words, you fund it 100% before getting grant money.
Then you can put it on HP or whatever.

When funds are tight, its often a deal breaker

Yeah, just don't tell them you are financing it on HP from the start...

 

[ajd132]

Yeah, just don't tell them you are financing it on HP from the start...

You need proof of payment

 

[davidroberts30]

You need proof of payment

Yes

 

[Bald Rick]

Yeah, just don't tell them you are financing it on HP from the start...

Indeed ..... and there is the quote from the official document for clarity:

"Costs related to the purchase of equipment are only eligible for grant aid when the cost has been correctly and fully defrayed by the claimant prior to submitting a claim. Therefore, the full costs of any equipment secured under a hire purchase or lease hire agreement or any other form of financial arrangement is not eligible for grant aid" (my emphasis)

Page 6 of WG Small Grants - Efficiency: General rules booklet: update 01.03.2024

 

[Nearly]

I'm afraid I'd be making a comment about selling a kidney or something else likely to get application rejected.
About sick of the whole farce.

 

[Drillman]

If it's similar to the Welsh scheme, you have to pay in full for the item(s) first - and prove it via a bank statement - before they will settle the grant.
Or in other words, you fund it 100% before getting grant money.
Then you can put it on HP or whatever.

When funds are tight, its often a deal breaker

Yes if we get grant approval we may get some finance to cover some of it, however I’m not sorting finance at the moment as we not got grant approval and have no intention of placing the order for the machine unless we do. I have a quote from the dealer and they are on board with this.

I really do think the RPA are putting the cart in front of the horse here, asking for proof of funds months before the transaction is going to take place, what a bank balance looks like now will be very different in a few months time.

we’ve already had the same questions asked and answered a few months ago for a CS application with capital works that probably won’t even get done this year!

 

[Nearly]

The dealer is in the real world.
The RPA aren't.

 

[davidroberts30]

So we’ve put in for a grant under the FETF scheme and now the RPA are wanting to know how we intend to fund it before they decide if there going to pay there bit or not!

I really do think the RPA are putting the cart in front of the horse here, asking for proof of funds months before the transaction is going to take place, what a bank balance looks like now will be very different in a few months time.

They've only asked how u are going to fund it
Just say private loan or from current account

 

[upnortheast]

You need proof of payment

Depends on the scheme
The small machinery scheme ( Forget it`s proper name ) they needed sight of bank statement.
On the CS scheme, Fencing & Hedge planting on standard costs, they have never asked for proof of payment, just pics of the completed work.

 

[alomy75]

Is this not a case of 'Any (reasonable) answer will do because they have a box that requires you to provide an answer' rather than 'We need to provide the 'correct' answer'? We tend to assume that there must be a 'right' answer to questions, when often its just that whoever designed the system thought that it might be useful to obtain some bit of information, and so included a a question on it, but its not really relevant to whether you get approved or not. You only get pulled up if you leave it blank.

I'd be tempted to put something along the lines of 'From retained business profits/from liquidation of stock/from a bank loan or overdraft' [delete as appropriate].

This. If I ring up to make a voluntary overpayment to the mortgage they want to know where the money is coming from. I usually just say ‘farm profits’ and they just tap it in and we move on