Wales Farm Business Grants....

[GTB]

I'm not sure why FC needed to be involved in this scheme other than to just process the claims. Going to the meeting in Aber tonight and I'm pretty sure it will be a load of hot air.

 

[danpwll]

Keep us posted as our meeting is 23 may !!!

 

[SilliamWhale]

Let us now how you get on in the meeting - bet its bulls**t and a presentation on Brexit and Volatility

 

[GTB]

Basically 1 hr of how good FC is followed by half an hr on the importance of business planning etc, inc very good talk by Wendy Jenkins of Cara, and then ten mins of how to fill the application form and five minutes of questions from some people in the audience who thought they were very important and like to hear their own voices.

 

[neilo]

Basically 1 hr of how good FC is followed by half an hr on the importance of business planning etc, inc very good talk by Wendy Jenkins of Cara, and then ten mins of how to fill the application form and five minutes of questions from some people in the audience who thought they were very important and like to hear their own voices.

Was there no opportunity to leave after the mandatory signing in session?

 

[Penmoel]

I thought it was an evening of Farming Connect basically no one knows what the future holds re election, brexit trump or whatever, so you need to look after the things you can influence in your own business you need a business plan.... The old adage if you don't plan you plan to fail!!!!
We the had videos of Kite, ADAS, some tourist guy, Chris Duller and a fèw others saying what they do for your business and of course all our fees are 80% funded by FC, so you are lucky you have FC to have us for 20%!!!!

As far as the grant goes it is selective by computer which calculates your selection criteria against those of all other applications, with £6m available in the first window. Over 6500 businesses now registered with FC so if we all apply for a share of the £40m its just over £6000 each,over the four year scheme.

If your application is rejected in one window you can resubmit or vary it in the next window, only one successful application in the four year period.

Standard cost so say a mobile crush is what you want, it's SC is £10,200, if successful you get 40% of that figure regardless of what you pay for it., to be bought within 120 days of approval

Was there no opportunity to leave after the mandatory signing in session?

To be honest yes, you sign in as you enter, so you could sign and slip out as well

 

[Penmoel]

Basically all mobile crushes in Wales will now cost £10200, as no one will want to sell below that!

 

[Penmoel]

and five minutes of questions from some people in the audience who thought they were very important and like to hear their own voices.

Glad I did not ask anything, do you want me to name them?? Four of them from Aber and one from Tregaron!

Someone said to me after, we were treated like kids in school to keep the teachers busy.

 

[GTB]

Was there no opportunity to leave after the mandatory signing in session?

As @Penmoel says, sign in and scarper would be my advice.

 

[GTB]

Glad I did not ask anything, do you want me to name them?? Four of them from Aber and one from Tregaron!

Someone said to me after, we were treated like kids in school to keep the teachers busy.

No need to name names but ffs one person in particular made a fool of himself. I'm as annoyed as anyone about late Glastir payments (still waiting) but there's a time and a place....

Pretty sure the govt man made a boob too when asked if you actually had to pay for purchases before claiming. He said that an invoice was technically all that was needed, a comment that raised a few eyebrows I think. I doubt he'll give the same answer at the next meeting.

 

[Penmoel]

Remember though Glastir payments are not late , they cannot be as there is no payment window to adhere to.

Not even a receipted invoice or bank statement to verify payment, from his answer a pro forma invoice would suffice. I have my doubts too.

thinking about it , the new grant scheme should adopt the slogan from the National Lottery....

"You have to be in it to win it"


So throw an application in and see if you are lucky , its going to be a lottery.

 

[danpwll]

Did they give you a list of what every item is worth ?? As you say mobile crush 10200 !!

 

[bracken basher]

Basically all mobile crushes in Wales will now cost £10200, as no one will want to sell below that!

Do you have to buy from a Welsh dealer?

 

[GTB]

No they didn't give a list but there is one on the claim form I believe. Apparently they have had three quotes for every item and the price on the list is an average of the three and the grant is 40% of that price regardless of what you pay.

 

[GTB]

Do you have to buy from a Welsh dealer?

No

 

[neilo]

To be fair, 'standard' prices do have the potential to reduce admin costs & delays......

I bet they don't though.

 

[GTB]

I don't think the scheme itself is so bad. Only criticism really is having to endure FC propoganda and not being able to spread out the expenditure. There are a few things on that list that we could use tbh but wouldn't want to buy them all at the same time even with 40% grant.

 

[Penmoel]

That apparently was the idea to simplify things no need for several quotes they have done the job. Just that all manufacturers will know what the standard cost price is for their particular item.

GTB is right if it is a 4 year scheme with just one application a good business plan for a four year period would say buy item 1 in yr 1, 2 in year 2 etc. ie a planned expenditure program.

This way if you go for the maximum grant of £12,000 on a £30k expenditure you must spend that money within 120 days of approval . Perhaps that in itself will limit the number of "max" claims made.

 

[GTB]

That apparently was the idea to simplify things no need for several quotes they have done the job. Just that all manufacturers will know what the standard cost price is for their particular item

And I cant see them giving much discount when they have a full order book. The price can only go up.

 

[neilo]

Could make for plenty of opportunities to buy cheap secondhand kit where folk have replaced with new?