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Open Call for Proposals for Woodland Support Projects for 2021/2022 - Specification and Application Form
From Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
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Woodlands and Forestry haves many benefits for society including economic, social and environmental ones. They are a source of timber products, recreational spaces and habitat for biodiversity while also providing an important source of income for rural communities.
The Forestry Programme 2014 – 2020 (extended to end 2022) provides funding to the forestry sector in Ireland and consists of a number of measures aimed at the following:
- increasing the level of forest cover,
- increasing the supply of forest-based biomass,
- supporting private forest holders in actively managing their forests, and
- enhancing the environmental and social benefits of new and existing forests.
Table 1: Forestry in Ireland (Dates of most recent data included)
| Forestry land Area (2017) | 11% (770,020 ha) |
| Roundwood harvest (2018) | 3.69 million m3 |
| Land Owners with forestry (2020) | 23,256 |
| Forestry Jobs (Coford 2012) | 12,000 |
| Exports (2018) | €450m |
| Broadleaf species (National Forest Inventory 2017) | 28.7% of total forest area |
| Contribution to Irish Economy (2012 ) | €2.3 billion |
The needs identified as part of the development of the Forestry Programme 2014-2020 were:
- To increase the level of forest cover
- To increase the supply of forest-based biomass
- To support private forest holders in actively managing their forest
- To enhance the environmental and social benefits of new and existing forests
It is now clear that, while all needs identified have been addressed to some extent during the programme period, the anticipated progress, particularly in the level of afforestation, has not been realised. This can be seen from the following table which shows actual levels of afforestation compared to the target under the Forestry Programme:
Total Planting in hectares
| Type/Year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Conifer | 5030 | 5230 | 4375 | 2932 | 2657 | 1616 |
| Broadleaves | 1263 | 1270 | 1161 | 1066 | 893 | 819 |
| Total (ha) | 6293 | 6500 | 5536 | 3998 | 3550 | 2434 |
| FP Target | 6000 | 6660 | 7140 | 7205 | 8115 | 8290 |
The policy framework in which we are now operating includes the following:
- A recognition of, and emphasis on the fact that this programme is being rolled out in the context of Project Woodland, i.e. in a period of transition to a new model of forestry.
- The prolongation of the existing Forestry Programme while the CAP reform process is being finalised. State aid rules have been extended to cover the CAP transitional period, which will be up to the end of 2022.
- The EU Green Deal, which includes measures to tackle soil and water pollution, and a new EU forest strategy.
- The development of a new Forestry Programme which will seek to position forestry as a complimentary farm enterprise, aligned with other agricultural schemes and activities and with the principle of sustainable forest management at its core.
- The Climate Action Plan 2019 and the Climate Bill currently going through the Oireachtas.
- The Programme for Government commitments on forestry, including the development of a new strategy to expand afforestation and the undertaking of a land-use review.
The main priority is to increase afforestation in a sustainable manner, as it is only through this that the many benefits of forests can be achieved, but it is also clear that reaching the 8000ha per year target set out in the Government’s Climate Action Plan is going to be a major challenge. Farmers have disengaged from the forestry programme schemes for a variety of reasons e.g. bad publicity on forestry, good prices for leasing land, land tied up in GLAS. The challenge now is to get farmers interested and get their participation levels up again, which have slipped from 96% in 2014 to 30% currently.
There is already widespread awareness among society at large of the many goods and services that forests provide. In addition to providing timber products they act as a carbon sink, prevent soil erosion and flooding and provide recreational spaces. However, in recent years, forestry as a land-use in this country has become increasingly divisive, with arguments sometimes fuelled by misinformation or misunderstandings. It is therefore crucial to ensure that forestry policy is informed by facts and science, communicated effectively through co-ordinated and targeted campaigns.
In order to encourage farmers and other land owners to plant and to raise the profile of forestry as a public good and a commercially viable enterprise, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (‘DAFM’) is inviting applications for funding for projects which support and highlight forestry under the four following themes:
1) Support and highlight the environmental benefits of woodlands.
2) Support and highlight the benefits of woodlands, focussing on farmers, and/or community engagement and/or general wellness
3) Support and highlight productive forestry and timber products, in the context of climate action and the bioeconomy.
4) Support and highlight sustainable forest management among forest owners (targeted at organisations already active in this area with established programmes in operation).
This competitive process is open to all. Please note however that applications under theme 4 are confined to groups or organisations already active in the area, with an established track record.
Terms and Conditions of the Call for Proposals competitive process
3.1. All applications will be evaluated with reference to the marking scheme outlined in the application form.
3.2. Applications will also be assessed in relation to the degree of collaboration with other organisations and we would encourage groups to work together in the design and delivery of their proposals.
3.3. As the budget is necessarily limited, applicants are advised to keep expenditure to a minimum. Where possible, large projects should be split into two or more smaller projects, as part of a project may qualify for funding while the full project may not, due to budget limitations or duplication/overlap with other projects. Part-funding may also be considered.
3.4. Delivery of the proposed actions and materials should fall within the period June 2021 – December 2022.
3.5. Aspects of projects that have a “life” after the proposed event and will still be useful at a later stage should be highlighted e.g. educational tools and other media or material assets.
3.6. Assets funded under this call for proposals will be owned by the Department and may be made available to other entities within the Sector.
3.7. Proposals must not replace actions that are currently taking place without State funding or can be considered part of normal business practice e.g. advertising, attendance at agricultural shows or other marketing actions. Actions must have the potential to benefit the sector as a whole and must be additional to what is already being undertaken. Any project results must be made available to the public.
3.8. Proposals will only be supported where these actions would only have been undertaken with funding from the Department (the incentive effect). Other State aid rules may apply in the case of large companies.
3.9. All grant funding will be subject to the conditions set out in Circular 13/2014 (Appendix 2) issued by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) in relation to the provision of grant funding to all bodies. This means that all grants or grant installments will be paid on the basis of vouched expenditure only. No advance payment of grants or installments will be possible and applicants must take this into account in proposing projects for funding.
3.10. The extent to which proposals will be funded will depend on the budget available at a given time. Not all proposals that have been submitted, evaluated or have exceeded the minimum threshold of 60 marks will be funded. Confirmation of funding will be formally notified in writing.
3.11. More than one proposal per applicant can be submitted but the same proposal can only be submitted under one theme.
3.12. Proposals should remain valid throughout the extended period of the 2014-2020 Forestry Programme, i.e. 2021 and 2022. Proposals for funding may cover either 2021 or 2022 or both. Funding may be allocated for either year, depending on budget availability.
3.13. An Evaluation Plan is to be submitted with each project at application stage, clearly setting out the intended inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and impacts of the project. An updated evaluation of the outputs of the successful projects, with performance indicators where possible, will be required with each request to draw down payment, together with an assessment of the likely projected outcomes and impacts arising from the project in the long term. However, the project evaluations will not affect the provision of funding and are for information purposes only, to inform future campaigns and strategy development.
Theme 1 - Support and highlight the environmental benefits of woodlands.
This theme has been included to encourage individuals or groups with a specific interest in the environmental role of forestry, to submit proposals which raise awareness of the value of woodlands and the many ways in which trees and forests contribute to achieving our environmental goals.
Proposals submitted should convey a strong message that Ireland’s trees and woodlands provide a wide range of environmental resources and services which benefit society as a whole. Proposals should focus on the role played by the forest resource in climate change mitigation, biodiversity and water quality. Within this theme, the Department recognises that there are many different opinions about forestry among the various interest groups and we would particularly welcome proposals which seek to inform and unite opinion in relation to how forestry can contribute to enhanced environmental benefits. The target audience for successful projects under this theme should therefore be all sectors of society as the environmental benefits of woodlands are shared and valued equally by all.
Theme 2 - Support and highlight the benefits of woodlands, focussing on farmers, and/or community engagement and/or general wellness
The target audience under this heading includes the general public, schools, community groups, land-owners and farmers and is particularly aimed at encouraging tree planting. Proposals under this theme should highlight the extent of consultation and engagement with these groups and could include the development and distribution of promotional material, photographs and videos, social media campaigns, information packs, surveys, quizzes, competitions, art/illustration/animation, on-line publications and activities such as webinars and the promotion of forestry as a career opportunity.
Proposals should focus on the cultural heritage of Ireland’s forest resource, the contribution that trees make to our landscape as well as the recreational and health benefits that woodlands provide.
Theme 3 - Support and highlight productive forestry and timber products, in the context of climate action and the bioeconomy.
This theme targets landowners, both farmers and non farmers, users of wood and harvested wood products, architects and builder’s providers. It seeks to encourage greater use of wood, participation in sustainable forest management of existing forests, and increased afforestation, particularly among those who have not yet planted. Projects marketing the climate benefits of using wood can be aimed at a wider audience also, to highlight the importance of sustainable forest management for the whole of society, as a source of timber and timber products and as part of the national effort to tackle climate change through increased carbon sequestration and carbon storage.
Proposals submitted under this heading could include measures that focus on the economic benefit of forestry for farmers, the role played in diversifying farm income, the associated tax benefits and the fact that forestry can work alongside the existing farm enterprise. Other possible topics could include the benefits of forestry for rural communities through the economic activity of associated businesses such as contractors, saw mills and manufacturers of timber products. In this Call we are particularly looking for projects which promote the role of timber in the bioeconomy and in displacing other materials, such as concrete and steel in construction, to help lower our carbon footprint. Trees sequester and remove CO2 from the atmosphere, both the trees and the soil act as an important carbon store while the use of timber in buildings also locks up carbon. Using sustainably produced biomass instead of non-renewable fossil fuels leads to significant carbon savings on emissions. Actions that promote the establishment and conservation of native woodlands and the promotion of agro forestry could also come in under this theme.
Theme 4 - Support and highlight sustainable forest management among forest owners (targeted at organisations already active in this area with established programmes in operation).
Groups and representative organisations who operate in the area of sustainable forest management, forest certification or who are engaged in raising awareness of best practice in afforestation and felling processes may apply for funding under this theme.
Actions can include information transfer projects such as publications, award schemes, newsletters, field trips, site visits, seminars, website development and other educational actions that benefit existing forest owners and timber end users. Projects targeting the use of wood energy and biomass can be submitted under this heading also.
The marking scheme to be used to evaluate and rank the submissions will be as follows:
| Criteria | Totals marks available |
| Quality and experience of individuals who will deliver proposals; A wide range of skill-sets to deliver on actions will receive additional marks. For theme 4 applications only , the track record of the organisation in delivering similar activities in the previous three years will form part of the assessment. | 25 |
| The extent to which the applicants seek to co-ordinate actions with other groups and other initiatives to create a wider impact including networking, formal engagement with other groups and creation of synergies and partnerships. | 25 |
| Quality and relevance of actions and projects proposed in terms of addressing the requirements for the theme. | 25 |
| Value for money in terms of achieving the objectives for the theme. | 25 |
5.1 Following the evaluation process, proposals will be ranked, with each proposal being given a “ranking number” (1 being the first ranked proposal). Where proposals have received the same marks, the cost of each proposal will be used to decide the final placing, with the lower costing proposal being place ahead of the proposal with a higher cost. Thereafter proposals will be allocated to one of four tables, each table representing one of the four themes; within these tables, proposals will be listed according to their “ranking number”.
5.2 Proposals must achieve a minimum of 60 marks before being considered for funding but all proposals will be ranked. Depending on the available budget not all proposals achieving the minimum number of marks (60 marks) will be funded.
5.3 The formal approval process will begin with approving the top ranked proposal under each theme. At this stage where the budget does not provide for all four proposals, only those projects that can be funded will be selected (according to cost, with lower cost proposals being selected ahead of those with a higher cost, exclusive of VAT). Thereafter, approval will issue according to the ranking number, regardless of the theme. Individual approvals will issue up to the available budget amount. Where the available budget does not allow for the next approved project in the ranking the funding may be offered to the next ranking where the available budget is sufficient.
5.4 The Department may also decide to offer funding which is less than the amount sought or turn down one action in the proposal but fund another.
5.5 The approval process for 2021 and 2022 will be done in May/June 2021. A letter of offer will be made to successful applicants by the Department; a letter of acceptance from the applicant will constitute agreement of the terms and conditions of this call for proposals.
5.6 Results will be made public.
6.1 An application form including a Detailed Funding Proposal Table, together with the Evaluation Plan, must be completed for each proposal submitted.
6.2 In presenting your project please provide information on your organisation, who you represent and your record of involvement in forestry promotion.
6.3 Consideration should be given to what will be delivered that is not already being delivered by other groups or organisations, the added value it will bring and how it will benefit the public, forest owners and/or the forestry sector.
6.4 Use of innovative platforms in projects is encouraged including social media, educational tools, photography, and interactive material that can be used at events. Given the impact of Covid-19, suggestions for overcoming the restrictions are also welcome.
6.5 A short video or Powerpoint presentation, accompanying the application, pitching the main concept of the project, would also be welcome.
6.6 Submission of a proposal means that you agree to having details of the proposal made public, if successful, i.e. name, organization, location, short and long descriptions, funding allocated.
6.7 Where proposals have a multi-annual funding dimension the proposal should outline the funding being sought for each year and the actions that will be delivered for each of these years.
6.8 Where actions complement existing promotional activities or the roll-out of actions proposed are coordinated with other groups, this must be clearly stated in the proposal. The uniqueness of actions should also be highlighted where appropriate or where actions from previous years are being repeated, a brief description should be given regarding the outcome of those previous actions.
6.9 The applicant as “Data Controller” in respect of any personal data provided by it in its proposal, is required to confirm that all personal data (CV’s for example) relating to “Data Subjects” (where “Data Controller” and “Data Subject” has the meaning given under the Data Protection Laws) as provided to them (the Applicant) in the course of preparing the proposal has the consent of those “Data Subjects” to the processing of such personal data by the Applicant and DAFM for the purposes of participating in this Call for Proposals or that the applicant otherwise has a legal basis for providing such personal data to DAFM for the purposes of its participation in this Call for Proposals.
6.10 “Data Protection Law” means all applicable national and EU data protection laws, regulations and guidelines including but not limited to Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (the “General Data Protection Regulation”), and any guidelines and codes of practice issued by the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner or other supervisory authority for data protection in Ireland from time to time. See also Appendix 3.
Please return completed application form by email to: ForestrySupportFunding@agriculture.gov.ie or by post to Christine Smith, Forestry Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Johnstown Castle Estate, Co Wexford by 5pm Monday 24 May 2021
Funding under this project is governed by DPER circular 13/2014 - Management of and Accountability for Grants from Exchequer Funds Guidance Note and Reporting Requirements
Woodland Support Project
Address:
Forestry Division, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Johnstown Castle Estate, Co Wexford
Part A: Information applicable to all the DAFM’s customers:
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (‘DAFM’) is fully committed to keeping all personal data, submitted by our customers, fully safe and secure during our administrative processes. All necessary technical measures have been put in place to ensure the safety and security of our systems which hold this data. The staff of DAFM are also considered customers of DAFM from a Data Protection perspective and may exercise their rights in the same way.
Transparency and openness in the use of personal data held is important to DAFM and therefore we aim to fully inform all our customers about the purpose(s) that their data will be used for and why, where it may be shared elsewhere and why and how long their data may be held for by DAFM. Information on the rights of the customers will also be provided.
The current legislation for Data Protection in Ireland is the Data Protection Act 1998 as amended by the 2003 Data Protection Act. The General Data Protection Regulations (EU 2016/679) came into effect on 25 May 2018.
The Data Controller for the collection of all personal data in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is the Minister for DAFM, as the legal entity.
The Data Protection Officer can be contacted as follows:
Data Protection Officer
Address:
Data Protection Unit, Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Pavilion A, Grattan Business Park, Dublin Road, Portlaoise, Co Laois
, R32 K857
Phone number:
Personal data processed by DAFM will only be used for the specific purpose (s) as outlined when the data is collected and will only be used in accordance with the Data Protection legislation in force.
Rights of the Individual in relation to personal data held by DAFM:
When you, as a customer, provide personal data to DAFM you have certain rights available to you in relation to that data. These rights are as listed below and can be exercised by contacting the Data Protection Officer, as detailed above:
Currently the customer has the following rights:
- The individual has the right to access to their data.
- The individual has the right to rectification of their data
- The individual has the right to erasure of their data
- The individual has the right to lodge a complaint with the Supervisory Authority
- The individual has the right to restriction of processing
- The right to data portability
- The individual has the right to object to processing
- The individual has the right to withdraw consent if they previously gave it
Part B – Information specific to the personal data being collected
The following data is specific information in relation to the personal data processed for this call for proposals
Specified purpose:
The purpose for collection and use of data shall not extend beyond this Call for Proposals.
The organisers\administrators and facilitators undertake to treat all information, particularly personal data as confidential and to comply with all directions of DAFM with regard to the use and application of all and any confidential information.
Legal basis:
The decision to participate in this call for proposals and consequently send your contact details to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is entirely your decision; there is no legal basis compelling you to send DAFM your contact details or to participate in this call for proposals.
Recipients:
All information held on this call for proposals may be made available to the DAFM or to any other Department or Agency where required, for evaluation of this call for proposals and statistical purposes, the results of which may be made public. No individual will be identified.
In accordance with the European Union Guidelines for State aid in the agriculture and forestry sector and in rural areas 2014 – 2020, data of beneficiaries of exchequer funding under the Forestry Programme 2014 – 2020 will be published and may be processed by auditing and investigating bodies of the European Union. This information will be published on DAFM’s website and will include the full text of the notified aid scheme and it’s implementing provisions, the granting authority (DAFM), the names of the individual beneficiaries (landowners), the scheme type and amount of aid granted to each beneficiary (exchequer funding only), the region at Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics level II in which the beneficiary is located and the principal economic sector in which the beneficiary has its activities, at NACE group level (Statistical classification of economic activities in the European Community). This will only apply to beneficiaries where the cumulative aid amount (exchequer funding only) granted at financial approval is greater than €60,000 for beneficiaries active in the primary agriculture production and €500,000 for others for the amount of aid granted at the time of financial approval discounted at the rate at the time. Such information will be published after the granting decision has been taken and will be kept for at least 10 years and shall be available for the general public without restrictions. These records must be maintained for 10 years from the date of award of the aid and must be provided to the Commission upon request.
Information supplied to DAFM may be disclosed under the Freedom of Information Acts 1997 and 2003. All personal data will be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003.
Transferred outside the EU:
Data will not be transferred outside the EU.
Retention Period:
Data collected for this purpose will be held by DAFM only as long as there is a business need to do so in line with the purpose(s) for which it was collected. After this time it will be marked for destruction and will be destroyed in line with internal guidelines or guidelines for destruction received from the National Archives Office or associated permissions received from them
Data Provision being statutory or contractual obligation:
The letter of acceptance following a formal offer by DAFM constitutes formal agreement of the terms and conditions of this call for proposals.
Automated Decision Making:
Certain personal data provided in support of this call for proposals will be processed automatically for the purpose of cross checking personal details on DAFM’s Customer Care and Account systems to enable the processing of payments.
Information from Third Party:
Data supplied by Third Parties will be treated in the same manner as data supplied directly from customers.
Contain technical information re Cookies Policy and collection and use of technical information (similar to that already on website)
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine is fully committed to keeping all personal data submitted by its customers, fully safe and secure during administrative processes. All necessary technical measures have been put in place to ensure the safety and security of the systems which hold this data. Department staff are also considered as customers of DAFM from a Data Protection perspective and may exercise their data protection rights in the same way.