Scottish capital grants scheme claim window extended

The deadline for submitting claims for the Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grants Scheme (SACGS) in Scotland has been extended to 30 September 2021.

The original 31 March deadline has been extended in response to issues around the supply of certain capital items.

However, farmers and crofters are still being encouraged to submit claims as soon as they are able to do so.

See more: Read more about grants on Farmers Weekly’s dedicated page

The pilot scheme, made available to farmers in Scotland last year, provides grants worth 50% of the standard cost of a predetermined list of livestock management and precision-farming equipment.

Cattle- and sheep-handling equipment, retrofit autosteer kits and slurry lagoon covers are all eligible, with a full list available on the Scottish rural payments website, alongside more information on the application process.

Grant offers worth nearly £18m were sent to more than 3,500 farmers in early December.

Claims must be submitted with invoices and proof of payment for the items purchased.

For items not yet purchased, evidence must be supplied to confirm they have been ordered and an estimated date of delivery from the supplier.

After the claim has been submitted, farmers will be paid for any items already purchased and will receive funding for any remaining items once proof of purchase has been provided, although this proof must be supplied before 30 September.