Grants - fill your boots

[Quickthorn]

which is laughable, as you want the grant because you cannot afford the kit in the first place.

 

To be honest, I don't think these grants are here to help people who can't afford stuff. They're really handed out to keep production costs down in whatever target area is the order of the day. In the case of forestry supply chains, I'll bet that most of the benefit eventually ends up in the pockets of the land owners.

[Mr Ed]

Nah, in my experience its the large harvesting contractors and Sawmills that seem to benefit the most.

[Buzz]

To be honest, I don't think these grants are here to help people who can't afford stuff. They're really handed out to keep production costs down in whatever target area is the order of the day. In the case of forestry supply chains, I'll bet that most of the benefit eventually ends up in the pockets of the land owners.

 

 

Exactly I agree completly, i looked into this in depth some years ago when all my competitiors where growingvery quickly with grant money.

 

Nick Hilton has played the game and got that roof mounted harvester but he has a very good relationship witht he FC and some grounds maintenance to prop up his turnover.

[gensetsteve]

Up to £10,000.00 paper work is minimal you will only need 3 quotes no accts.The idea is to help woodland and forestry based companies to thrive and promote ecologically sound practices.

You get alot of rumours and scare mongering from grant baggers. If you have a genuine need most of the grant agencies will do all they can to help but they are not stupid and know when people are pulling a fast one. If you ask for £3500.00 toward the machine and you cant raise the other half I would say they are right to be worried. Put it on a 0% credit card for 6 months until it comes through.

[Arran Woodfuels]

 

This would indicate that the grants you are talking about are offering 50% of total costs, based on the cheapest quote (which is not always the one you want to use ). So if you are talking about only a capital expenditure of only £4k to £5k then that is something you really must follow-up.

 

In the West of Scotland we are looking at altering the ownership structure of our (larger) biomass projects, since community owned facilities can attract 90%

 

This, combined with the fact that Community Energy Scotland CES are prepared to act as bankers too, makes the whole community approach entirely acceptable. Thanks again to the work of the Scottish Government in supporting deprived areas of Scotland.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Arran Woodfuels

[gensetsteve]

 

This would indicate that the grants you are talking about are offering 50% of total costs, based on the cheapest quote (which is not always the one you want to use ). So if you are talking about only a capital expenditure of only £4k to £5k then that is something you really must follow-up.

 

In the West of Scotland we are looking at altering the ownership structure of our (larger) biomass projects, since community owned facilities can attract 90%

 

This, combined with the fact that Community Energy Scotland CES are prepared to act as bankers too, makes the whole community approach entirely acceptable. Thanks again to the work of the Scottish Government in supporting deprived areas of Scotland.

 

You can choose who you want to supply the kit even if they are not the cheapest. Obviously if one quote is 100k and the other two are 6k you wont get it.

[Arran Woodfuels]

You are quite right, of course you can choose who you buy from.

 

But in my experience, in the scenario you describe with one quote at 100k and another at 6k, and if the level of grant was 50%, then you would get 3k.

 

You're then free then to choose whether to spend 3k or 97k, but the grant will always be 3k.

[gensetsteve]

You are quite right, of course you can choose who you buy from.

 

But in my experience, in the scenario you describe with one quote at 100k and another at 6k, and if the level of grant was 50%, then you would get 3k.

 

You're then free then to choose whether to spend 3k or 97k, but the grant will always be 3k.

 

3k is better than no k

[renewablejohn]

Renewablejohn got a match funded grant totaling £150k I think...

 

Not quite right it is just over 150k and is 100% funding of equipment as part of the BEIS grant which is specifically set up for CHP wood fuel production. The negative aspect has been our cashflow totally screwed up as the grant is approved on paid invoices 3 months in arrears which has meant our claim at the end of March was paid on 10th September (3 months ???)

[Mr Ed]

Sorry John, I could'nt quite remember the details, but I knew you had experience. Congrats on that grant - must have been a lot of paperwork.