Young Farmers’ Capital Investment Scheme

Young Farmers’ Capital Investment Scheme provides financial help to young farmers to upgrade their agricultural buildings and equipment. It helps them to meet the capital costs associated with the establishment of their enterprises.

It also improves efficiency, drives growth and creates environmental benefits.

The scheme is open to farmers who:

• are aged over 18 and under 41 at the date of submitting the application
• have set up for the first time within five years of an application under this scheme
• own or have leasehold title to the site on which it is proposed to carry out the development
• have a minimum of 5 hectares of “eligible land” in the year of application or preceding year or, for tillage related investments, have a minimum of 15 hectares of eligible crops
• generate a minimum of 20 production units from farming in the case of intensive enterprises
• fulfill the requirement on occupational skill and competence

If you are farming with others, you may still be eligible for the scheme.

Certain types of equipment and building work are eligible for the scheme including:

• animal housing, manure pits and concrete tanks
• automatic slurry scrapers
• pens, enclosures and fencing
• dairy building and equipment
• energy efficiency measures
• tillage sector building work and equipment

The funding for the scheme is limited and all applications are subject to selection criteria. See the conditions of the scheme and the selection criteria marking sheet at the bottom of this page.

Grant aid is paid at the rate of 60% up to a maximum of €80,000 per holding. Multiple applications per tranche are allowed however the minimum amount of investment which is eligible for approval under this scheme is €2,000 per application.

Applicants who receive approval to proceed with investment works at the maximum ceiling of €80,000 under this scheme are not eligible to apply for grants under any other TAMS II scheme with the exception of the Low Emission Slurry Spreading (LESS) Equipment Scheme.

In the case of an application by two or more eligible partners, the maximum increases to €160,000.

Applications must be submitted online through agfood.ie. If your login or password are expired and need to be renewed please contact the Department’s helpdesk at 053 9163425 .

The department has prepared this document as an aid to ensure that farmers and advisors are aware of the requirements and conditions attaching to payments concerned and to assist in completing applications for the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme.

Download the marking sheet: