Most applications for Rural Priorities funding will not be affected by the State Aid rules, i.e. if the proposed activity is either agricultural or non-commercial/for public benefit. All applications for funding for Axis 1 agricultural and Axis 2 non-commercial agri-environmental activities are exempt from State Aid rules.
Case Officers should follow this process for all applications which have met the five State Aid criteria. Each proposed activity within an application may need to be considered separately.
1. There are a number of conditions which must be applied to establish whether an activity is non-commercial and purely for public benefit. Fulfilment of these conditions will need to be demonstrated and recorded on file.
2. The Case Officer must ask the applicant to confirm in writing whether any aid they have received during the previous 3 years was de minimis aid (whether aid was de minimis will be specified on the offer of grant). This must be recorded on the file. See exchange rates on EC website
3. The case will be forwarded to the SRDP Team for further consideration