Overview of schemes
Use the tables below to find funding that is relevant to you and check what has changed since the last programme.
Schemes
Depending on your circumstance, business or location, there may be several funding options available to you. Use the table below to check the high-level eligibility for each scheme.
| About you | Available schemes |
|---|---|
| Active Farmer with at least three hectares of land | Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) (including Greening and Young Farmer payments) |
| New and / or young farmer who does not automatically qualify for the Basic Payment Scheme | National Reserve |
| Keep a suckler beef herd | Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (Mainland and Islands) |
| Keep sheep on rough grazing land | Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme |
| Interested in projects that help protect the environment | Agri-Environment Climate Scheme |
| Creation and management of woodland and forests | Forestry Grant Scheme |
| Farm land designated as a Less Favoured Area | Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) |
| Run a crofting business | Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme, Croft House Grant Scheme |
| Run a small farm (between three and 30 hectares) | Small Farms Grant Scheme |
| New entrant to farming | New Entrants grants |
| Live in a remote area and don't have access to broadband internet | Broadband |
| Want to explore new ways of working in agriculture, forestry and land management | Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund |
| Run a small rural business processing food products | Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation |
| Rural development project designed to build skills, encourage innovation and diversify businesses | LEADER |
| Interested in sharing ideas and good practice with regards to rural development | Scottish Rural Network |
| Want to access advice and support from experts | Advisory service |
What's new
While some of our schemes are new for the 2014-20 Scottish Rural Development Programme, others have been updated from the last programme. Use the below table to check what schemes are new and what schemes have been updated.
| Scheme name | Previous name | What's changed |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Payment Scheme | Single Farm Payment | - payment can be made up of three elements: Basic Payment, Greening and Young Farmer - the total of Direct Payments over €150,000 is progressively reduced by five per cent - separate National Reserve for those farmers who do not have automatic eligibility |
| Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (Mainland and Islands) | Scottish Beef Scheme | No significant changes other than variable rates for mainland and island herds. |
| Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme | New scheme | N/A |
| Agri-Environment Climate Scheme | Rural Priorities | - application is online only - only one application window per year - change in payment rates - necessity to keep a diary to record actions taken to carry out management requirements - third party applicants can apply with agreement of all land owners |
| Forestry Grant Scheme | Forestry Commission Challenge Fund | No significant changes to available funding but now a stand-alone forestry scheme |
| LFASS | LFASS | - there has been some changes to eligibility, meaning more farmers may be able to access this support - degressivity will apply from 2015. This means payments for larger holdings above 4000 ha will be restricted - "grazing categories” have been renamed “land quality categories” but with no other changes - the payment rates are a now maximum - forage crop codes eligible for LFASS have in some cases been re- labeled, but are effectively still the same |
| Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme | Crofting Counties Agriculural Grant Scheme | TBC |
| Small Farms Agricultural Grant Scheme | New scheme | N/A |
| New Entrants Capital Grant | New scheme | N/A |
| Young New Entrants Start-up Grant | New scheme | N/A |
| Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund | Skills Development Scheme | There are certain similarities to the old scheme, such as an emphasis around skills, but it now also has a strong focus on knowledge transfer and innovation. There are, therefore, some differences in: - types of applications - focus Areas - eligibility - rates of grant |
| Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation | Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation | Main changes include: - types of applications - eligibility - rates of grant - approval procedures - strategic Food and Drink priorities |
| LEADER | LEADER | TBC |
| Broadband | New scheme | N/A |