Agricultural Business Development Scheme
This Scheme closed to new applications on 1 September 2006. Please see the latest information on the Scottish Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 for further information.
The Agricultural Business Development Scheme (ABDS) was a development scheme for farmers and crofters, and their immediate families, designed to help increse the income generated by their businesses.
Although the scheme is now closed to new applicants, the final date for payment of claims is the 30th June 2008. To date, the scheme has paid out £14.5 million and this is to rise to £15.8 million by the end of June.
The scheme was designed to help agricultural, and non-agricultural, businesses expand and provide assistance towards investement in agricultural land.
The scheme was part of the Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme. The Farm Business Development Scheme provides a similar service for lowland Scotland.
Full information on the scheme can be found in the scheme Explanatory Booklet, available on this website.
If after reading the scheme literature, you are unclear about any aspect of the ABDS you should not hesitate to contact either the scheme co-ordinator or your SGRPID Area Office, details of which are available on the Contacts page.