This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Farm Business Development Scheme
30/11/2004
The Farm Business Development Scheme is to provide more
than £550,000 to 29 projects in rural areas across
Scotland, bring the total funding from the scheme to £10.9
million.
Rural Development Minister Ross Finnie said:
"The Scottish Executive is committed to boosting our
rural economy and increasing employment opportunities.
"This support can be crucial not only to the success of
a new business but also to the provision of services within
our rural areas.
"I hope that those considering diversification will
apply to the Scheme before it closes for applications in
2006 so that more rural communities can see the benefits of
diversification."
For example Mrs Scott from Eyemouth received funding to
help her add a playroom to her house - expanding her
childcare business and helping to provide a much needed
service in the local area.
The Farm Business Development Scheme is an innovative
business development scheme for farmers and their immediate
families operating across Lowland Scotland, covering the
area from East Moray in the north to Dumfries and Galloway
in the south.
Farmers in the Highlands and Islands Special
Transitional Programme (H&ISTP) area who have been
actively engaged in agriculture for a two year period may
be eligible to apply for grant assistance under the
Agricultural Business Development Scheme (ABDS).
The FBDS was launched in July 2001. It is a
discretionary and competitive scheme which provides
variable grant assistance of up to 50 per cent of eligible
costs for farming families wishing to diversify either
within or outwith agriculture. Funding is provided solely
by the Executive.
Five locally based PACs assess applications. They are
chaired by the Scottish Executive and consist of
representatives from partner organisations including local
authorities, local enterprise companies, Scottish Natural
Heritage and local tourist board representatives, ensuring
projects are in line with local strategies and can meet
local priorities. Industry interests are represented by the
National Farmers' Union of Scotland (NFUS) and the Scottish
Rural Property and Business Association (SRPBA) who send
representatives to observe PAC meetings.
There are a wide variety of measures eligible for FBDS
grant. These range from projects in alternative
agriculture, such as the growing of non-traditional crops,
to providing rural services such as agricultural
contracting, construction services, forestry services and
boarding kennels, through to improving facilities for
tourists and bringing redundant farm buildings into use for
purposes such as quality tourist accommodation.
There are five local PACs covering Dumfries and
Galloway, Scottish Borders, East South (Forth Valley,
Angus, Perth and Kinross, Fife, Lothians), East North (the
areas around Aberdeen), and West (Clyde Valley and
Ayrshire).
The Scheme is delivered locally by six Area Project
Officers - one for each of the PACs, except East South
where there are two because of the size of the area.