The best recommendations for applying for the new grants for advice on the digitalisation of the agri-food sector

The Innovation and Digitalisation Sub-directorate of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food offered a whole catalogue of recommendations for applying for the new aid in the sector , which were presented at the conference held on 21 May in Madrid, broadcast on the YouTube channel of the School of Industrial Organisation.

During the day, Maite Ambrós, Deputy Director General of Innovation and Digitalisation (MAPA), offered the most important keys to the call , which is divided into two types of aid: for the provision of advice for digitalisation (PTIII) and for the creation of the digitalisation advisory service (PTIV). Many of the keys are outlined in the Applicant's Guide , available online for all interested parties.

The MAPA wants to help bridge the gap in digitalisation between large and small farms by making it easier to offer free advice to self-employed workers, small farms, agri-food and forestry SMEs, or entities in the sector interested in innovation. For example, how to use the digital notebook and how to use it to the benefit of each farm is a type of advice that it considers very important .

The MAPA SGID is open to answering all kinds of questions and requests for assistance in the design and presentation of applications with the aim of ensuring that projects of the highest quality are submitted.

Highlights of the intervention include:

• Who can benefit and the requirements they must meet.
  • Legal entities. A SINGLE BENEFICIARY ENTITY
  • With links to the agri-food/forestry sector (AAF), with real capacity for capillary access to the end users of this advice.
  • Established at least 3 years prior to the application.
  • With a minimum of 2 years of experience in consulting for the AAF sector
  • With sufficient financial and human resources (no advances).
  • National or supra-autonomous scope, entities of only two types:
    • Private non-profit organization.
    • Social economy entity.
• The two lines of aid (creation of the service or direct provision of the same) are not mutually exclusive, so an entity that wants to create the service can also opt to request aid to provide it later.
• Evaluation criteria (available online )
• The amounts will range from a minimum of 70,000 euros for the provision of advice and a maximum of 200,000 euros for the creation of the service.
• The details of the expenses that are eligible for subsidies and the limits for them, in line with spending containment.
• The topics and levels of advice provided in the provision of advice, as well as the type of service to be created. For example, how to use the digital notebook and how to use it to your advantage is important advice.

Link to the full presentation.

Practical aspects for submitting applications for MAPA grants

The practical details for submitting a project eligible for digitalisation advice were outlined by Juan Pedro Romero, Head of the Training and Technology Area, Subdirectorate General for Innovation and Digitalisation (MAPA).

Among the highlights:

• Calendar. With two phases, and execution between 2025 and 2026.
• Loading the application through the MAPA electronic office , its instructions and procedure.
• The documents requested in each phase and the aspects to take into account during the upload: technical requirements, recommendations for filling out the application, most common errors ...
• Limits on the subsidy budget . A payroll subsidy is planned, with amounts studied for the specificity of the sector.
• Points to include in the activity proposal:
  • Applicant's data.
  • Experience and focus.
  • Own capacity and structure.
  • Proposed suitability.
  • Planning and activities.
  • Use of ICT.
  • Impact.
  • Budget (justification).
  • ACTIVITY SHEETS.

In general, the application is simple, there is time to prepare good proposals that generate added value, and quality is sought in them . These are projects of supra-autonomous scope because a micro-fragmentation of aid is not desired . This advice is only to facilitate digitalization in one or more of these matters focused on any objective of the CAP strategic plan. These may be environmental, economic or social objectives.

There will be a one-on-one help desk . The ministry will help anyone who requests it to ensure that the quality of the applications is of the highest quality .

Link to the full presentation.

What to consider when requesting payment

To avoid problems when receiving aid payments, Sergio Gonzalo, Deputy Assistant Director of Market Regulation at the Spanish Agricultural Guarantee Fund OA (FEGA), explained the points that generate the most problems and that can be avoided by taking into account a few details:

• The aspects that will be requested in the payment request must be taken into account from the project design itself, so that there are no problems later.
• There are two implementation periods and they are watertight. That is why it is so important to design the project in order to be clear about what will be spent in the first year and what expenses will be left for the second year.
• If something needs to be modified with respect to the initial project, the DGDRIFA must be consulted and the change can never increase the amount.
• A single and exclusive current account must be set up (except for public bodies and own staff expenses) for receiving payments.
• Be clear about the expenses that are eligible for subsidies, so as not to include any that are not, and the limits and caps on each of them.
• Collect supporting documentation for everything.
• You have to put logos and advertising on everything, invoices and everything.
• All aimed at cost moderation.
• Three estimates must always be requested and, if this is not possible, a supporting document must be included. Exceptions should be kept to a minimum.
• The independence of the offers and offerors will be verified.

A guide to justifying expenditure for the first quarter of 2025 will be published on the FEGA website and information sessions and video information pills are planned.

Link to the full presentation.