Grant Advice

[tommer9]

I've been looking for almost the same thing for small scale forwarding machinery. Here's another link

 

GrantNet

 

I got this via my local authority web page.

 

It really is pot luck with grants; personally, I seem to be surrounded by people who have benefited, but have never been in the right time at the right place. On this latest search, it pulled up 17 schemes, of which I was ineligible for 17. I even looked into a commercial loan with the government's loan guarantee scheme, but that specifically rules out anything to do with forestry. What may be good for you is anything to do with ERDP, funded by DEFRA. In my area, it gives 50% funding, but the schemes start at £24,000..no good for me, because I don't need that much.

 

One thing I do notice about this about this sort of funding: it often seems to end up in the pockets of those who don't really need it, and it also makes life hard for the people who never seem to qualify, because the people who do get the funding often run the kit at a lower rate than someone who'd funded it themselves would have to do.

 

You have just described my findings exactly. There are workers and grant baggers i reckon, and i have never fallen into the latter group. Hopefully this time though something will happen. Or im stuffed.

[Quickthorn]

You have just described my findings exactly. There are workers and grant baggers i reckon, and i have never fallen into the latter group. Hopefully this time though something will happen. Or im stuffed.

 

Grant baggers..I know a few, one especially who's had grants to set up companies, got free training in a trade, and now has had grants for solar and wind power so he's self sufficient in power, and could even sell it back to the grid (while some old folk can't afford to put the fire on in winter)..yet if you start a conversation on benefits, he goes ballistic because he thinks the nation's full of scroungers!!!

 

*best stop now - blood pressure rising to dangerous levels..*

 

Best of luck. Do you have any farming connections? Some of those ERDP schemes are designed for farm businesses only, so they can "diversify" into things like firewood, forestry, timber milling etc....

[Charlieh]

Guide to European Funding 2007-2013

European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) programme available through the new Rural DevelopmentProgramme for England (RDPE)

 

Cornwall will get an allocation of "reserved" funding from the new Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) to support rural development activities for 2007-2013.

 

Rural Development:

 

For 2007-2013 Rural Development falls under European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) but only through the new Rural Development Programme for England. Cornwall has "reserved" funding under this programme to support its rural development activities. The new programmes will be based around four "priority-axes", with Member States able to choose from a menu of around 37 measures:

 

Axis 1 - Farming/Forestry Competitiveness

Axis 2 - Environmental Land Management (agri-environment measures)

Axis 3 - Quality of life and diversification in rural areas

Axis 4 - Leaderprogramme assisting rural communities to improve quality of life and economic prosperity (cross-cutting)

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is planning to run Axis 2 at a national level in England, managed by Natural England. Axis 1, 3 and 4 (Leader) are expected to be managed regionally by the Regional Development Agencies.

 

 

 

 

ALSO

 

Enterprise and Industry Grants' Work Programme

Description:

Financial support is available to small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) wishing to grow and develop their businesses in a way that is compatible with the overall EU goal of sustainable development.

 

Funding body:European Commission

Max. Value:£ 53,300Application deadline:04/09/2009

 

i cant find who the application need to be made for reguarding this in Cornwall, i will have a bit more of a hunt about

 

whilst these are pretty main stream funding sources, it would be worth trying to get more info on the second one, as you might find you can get a grant of say 30-50% of equipment to produce local timber for sustainable building projects, it might be worth looking into offering your sevices to a local conservation group for a bit, ie community woodlands, wildlife trust, as this will look good on any applications and covers you for social involvement, if you want any more info reguarding applications drop me a pm

 

Charlie

[tommer9]

Thanks very much for all these replies guys, they have been really helpful. QT- i live on a farm which is good, Charlieh, I had a call this afternoon from a guy who used to be part of working woodlands and now is part of RDPE, and i have an appointment on tuesday with him. He may be able to grant match- 50% funding, which would be a huge help. Cant wait to find out. I am going to check out that link now for Ero funding guide. Thanks again.

[Charlieh]

you just have to emphasise the use of local sustainable timber, and the social benefits of your work to the local communities, eg if you deal with specific foresters for sourcing timber, mention that you put work their way rather than bringing in timber from miles away its that kind of thing that scores good points with them,

 

 

i wouldnt get to bogged down in the EU document, but just remember about sustainable use, social inclusion, and business diversification, if you can match all three together whilst talking about your business your onto a winner

[cousin jack]

Don't mention anything about woodfuel, I have recently tried our local Rural Development Grant scheme. It seems if you want money to stop farming, and show all the local schoolchildren around they will throw thousands at you. Tell them you want to purchase a forwarder and a logsplitter and it's "sorry, woodfuel is'nt on the list". I tried the ecological, local, sustainable routes but it did me no good, fortunately I had a good endowment policy that I surrendered, a) because I might be dead before I'm 65, and b) because I don't want my wife to have the pleasure of spending it without me

[gibbon]

have you been to your local library to check out any locally available grant schemes? Theres loads of weird ones. A mate of mine got one to fund a 2 month surf trip we did to indonesia years ago. It was a weird sports fund for locals set up in somones will. He found out about it and got a grand!

[renewablejohn]

Having just secured a grant I presume I am now classed as a Grant Bagger. No great secret in getting a grant you just have to be prepared to put in the right paperwork in the stupid format which they request. In our case 4 weeks work producing 24 pages of bull manure. What I have found being a farmer is that you stand know chance of any grant relating to agriculture or forestry however the Government is very much into Biomass and power generation so we have concentrated on this type of grant.

[Quickthorn]

What I have found being a farmer is that you stand know chance of any grant relating to agriculture or forestry

 

That is pretty much diametrically opposite to the way I see it. Setting things like SPS, ELS and HLS aside, we've had a few mentions of ERDP in this thread already, and one of the 4 strands of this business is aimed specifically at farming and forestry. It varies from region to region, but here, axis 1 is translated to farming businesses wanting to diversify, to the exclusion of everyone else. I'd say that if you're a farmer, you've got a lot more chance than anyone else of getting funding, so I'm not surprised you think it's so easy..

 

Tommer, have you had any luck?

[tommer9]

That is pretty much diametrically opposite to the way I see it. Setting things like SPS, ELS and HLS aside, we've had a few mentions of ERDP in this thread already, and one of the 4 strands of this business is aimed specifically at farming and forestry. It varies from region to region, but here, axis 1 is translated to farming businesses wanting to diversify, to the exclusion of everyone else. I'd say that if you're a farmer, you've got a lot more chance than anyone else of getting funding, so I'm not surprised you think it's so easy..

 

Tommer, have you had any luck?

 

Well, things have changed a little at my end. I was contacted by a guy from RDPE who used to be with Working Woodlands. Having read all the helpful posts above, and speaking to the grant guy, i got back in touch with him and postponed my application, until i was absoloutely sure of the direction i want to take it in.