Up to 1,5 million euros support for investments in processing of agricultural products
The other day was launched in public consultation for a period of 15 days the Applicant’s Guide for sub-measure 4.2 – Support for investments in the processing / marketing of agricultural products, within the National Rural Development Program.
Through this sub-measure, entrepreneurs have at their disposal a funding instrument of up to 40% non-reimbursable for large enterprises, respectively 50% for SMEs and other forms of association and in some cases, the percentage can be increased up to 70% (for investments collective) for investments in the processing / marketing of agricultural products. Depending on the type of applicant and the type of investment, non-reimbursable funds with a value between 600,000 euros and 1.5 million euros can be obtained. Enterprises (including large enterprises), producer organizations and groups and cooperatives are eligible.
Compared to the previous sessions, there are some important changes within the Consultative Guide for the 2021 session both at the level of eligible operations and at the level of selection principles and criteria.
As a novelty, non-reimbursable financial support is granted for those investments aimed at establishing, expanding and modernization of protein processing units, such as soybeans, beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, peanuts, sunflower, hemp, rapeseed, flax, poppy, etc., as they are established in the List of plant species eligible for new investments / expansion / modernization of protein crops. This category of investments will benefit from a separate budget allocation for this sub-measure. For the other types of investments, which do not refer to protein plants, only the modernization of processing units is being financed.
The investment must fall within at least one of the eligible actions / operations provided for in the sub-measure, namely:
- Establishment, expansion and / or modernization, endowment of protein plant processing units as basic raw material, including investments in raw material collection, storage of raw material / finished products, product marketing (e.g. labelling, packaging), as well as investments for marketing products only as a secondary component of the project;
- Expansion and / or modernization, endowment of processing units for products other than protein crops, including investments in raw material collection, storage of raw material / finished products, product marketing (e.g. labelling, packaging), as well as investments in product marketing, only as a secondary component of the project;
- Extension and / or modernization of local networks of collection, reception, storage, conditioning, sorting and packaging, marketing (secondary component);
- Improving internal quality control and complying with the new standards imposed by European legislation for the processing and marketing of agri-food products;
- Production and use of energy from renewable sources (solar, wind, energy recovery of biomass, geothermal), energy produced by heat pumps, in the unit where an eligible activity is being carried out exclusively for own consumption, only as a secondary component of the project;
- Improve the energy efficiency of buildings where an eligible activity is being carried out, only as a secondary component of the project.
The ideal investment profile in relation to the principles and selection criteria applicable during this year’s session is as follows:
- The investment aims a product that participates in European agricultural and food quality systems (10 points). In case the respective product is also ecological, additional 8 points are added.
- The project aims at either investment in setting up / expanding / modernizing units that process protein plants, as a result of processing activity animal feed products being obtained (20 points), or investments in expanding and / or modernizing the collection networks / processing units for vegetables, potatoes (20 points).
- The project is accompanied from the submission moment by the final document issued by national Agency for Environment Protection – 12 points
- The investment includes environmental protection measures (production and use of renewable energy for own consumption, improvement of energy efficiency – enveloping buildings) in a percentage of at least 10% of the value of eligible project costs (10 points)
- The ratio between the non-reimbursable financing and the turnover is less than or equal to 5 and the company has a seniority of at least 3 years in the activity targeted by the project (9 points) and in the agri-food field (6 points)
- The applicant has not received funding from European funds for the development of the activity eligible through sub-measure 4.2 or the similar activity eligible through sub-measure 19.2 (15 points)
The above profile takes into account the scenario in which the applicant is a company. The selection principles and criteria and the related complete scores applicable in this session can be found in the Consultative Guide where they are detailed and explained accordingly. The Guide is published on the website of the Agency for Financing Rural Investments, here .
A synthetic presentation of the main elements of the Guide can be consulted here.
More info on the new Agriculture Funding programmes can be read here.
