Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS) (TAMS 3)
The Young Farmers’ Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS) provides financial help to young farmers to upgrade their agricultural buildings and equipment.
Eligible persons
Key eligibility criteria include:
- open to farmers aged over 18 and under 41 at the date of submitting the application
- 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 declared under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) or the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) or equivalent in the year of application or preceding year,
- for equine investments have a minimum of 3 equines declared on the Equine Census or equivalent in the year preceding application and fulfill the requirement on occupational skill and competence.
Occupational skill and competence parameters:
- Must fulfill the requirement on the date of application or within 36 months from the date of issue of Department approval to the applicant to commence works.
- Must have completed one of the courses listed in Annex J of the terms and conditions of the scheme or an equivalent course on or before the date of application or, at the latest, within 36 months from the date of issue of Department approval to commence works.
- Where this deadline for completion of the educational requirements is not met, grant aid will be paid at the standard rate of 40%.
- Qualifications that are claimed to be equivalent will be considered when submitted to Young Farmers Capital Investment Scheme Section, Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine, Johnstown Castle Estate, Co. Wexford prior to lodging an online application under the Scheme.
If farming with others, an individual may still be eligible for the scheme. In the case of a Young Farmer farming with others, a declaration is required that the Young Farmer exercises effective and long term control over the partnership or legal person in terms of decisions related to management, benefits and financial risks either solely or jointly together with other members of the partnership.
Refer also to TAMS 3 eligibility which can be found here
Grant rate
Grant aid is paid at the rate of 60% up to a maximum of €90,000 (i.e. 60% of €90,000 max) 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 €90,000 under this scheme are not eligible to apply for grants under any other TAMS 3 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. Read the terms and conditions of the scheme linked below, for further details on grant rates in the case of two or more eligible partners.
Eligible items
Equine infrastructure items eligible for investment under this scheme include: equine housing; ancillary concrete; tack room; feed and forage store; all weather exercise areas (arena/ lunge ring/ gallop); mechanical horse walker (roofed / unroofed); fencing and gateways (integrated in a new fence line only); pasture management machinery may also be of interest. The full TAMS 3 infrastructure list is available here. Newbuilds only are to be grant aided, not for the upgrade of existing structures.
Note: upgrade to existing all weather exercise arenas or gallops is not aided, but extension to existing infrastructure can be considered i.e. extension to an arena or gallop
Further information on the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme