Aid for Consulting Providers in the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 in Castilla-La Mancha
Description
On August 19, Order 135/2024, of August 8 , was published in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, which establishes the regulatory bases for the granting of aid to providers of agricultural advisory services within the Strategic Plan of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023-2027 .
Objective of the Order
This order seeks to regulate subsidies for agricultural farm advisory service providers, in line with Intervention 7202 of the CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 . The main objective is to provide comprehensive assistance throughout the farm development cycle, promoting innovation, sustainability, animal welfare, and adaptation to market demands and climate change.
Requirements for beneficiaries
Those who may benefit from these grants are those who provide advisory services for legal entities and their groups that meet, among others, the following requirements:
- To have as its corporate purpose the provision of advisory services in the agricultural field.
- Have an office open to the public in each province where services are offered.
- Have a compatible IT platform for user and farm control.
- Maintain an informative website about the services provided and have qualified personnel.
- Have duly qualified and adequately trained advisory staff to provide the advisory service
In order to be accepted, entities must, among other things, carry out advisory work in the Autonomous Community of Castilla-La Mancha and provide, together with the application for aid, an advisory project that specifies both the dissemination of the service and the specific procedure for attracting and selecting potential users. It will also indicate how the service will be provided, detailing the data collection process and diagnosis of the farm, the time of the visits, as well as their subsequent monitoring; in which an estimate of the potential farmers to be advised and the characteristics of their farms must also be made.
Types of advisory services
Eligible services will cover a variety of aspects, including:
- Management requirements for farmers according to the CAP Strategic Plan.
- Sustainable agricultural practices and digital technologies for the agriculture and rural areas sector.
- Support for innovation, particularly for the development and implementation of AEI operational group projects.
User selection and preferences
Users of these services will be selected by the beneficiary entities and must meet specific requirements, such as being owners of farms registered in official registers and not having been beneficiaries of the previous call for applications. Preference will be given to young farmers and farms with female ownership or co-ownership.
Amount and types of aid
The grants will cover up to 100% of eligible expenses , with a limit of €544 per consultation (excluding VAT) and up to €200,000 per beneficiary if the service covers the entire territory of Castilla-La Mancha. If the service is limited to one province, the limit is €50,000 .
In the case of using self-employed personnel who perform work dependent on the beneficiary entity, travel expenses may be added to personnel costs, without ever exceeding the maximum unit price of €473 per consultation , which does not include VAT.
Application deadlines
Applications must be submitted within the period established in the call, with a minimum of twenty working days from the publication of the call.
For more information and details on how to apply for these grants, visit the official website of the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development of Castilla-La Mancha.