Capital inspections

Date published: 1 January, 2015

Through capital inspections we check that the funding paid out from certain support schemes is being used correctly by farmers, crofters, foresters and land owners.

We’re required by European Commission legislation to annually check at least five per cent of claims for each applicable scheme through on-the-spot inspections.

Most inspections are carried out by Scottish Government inspectors, however some are delegated to our delivery partners and the results can affect how much funding you receive.

Schemes which require capital inspections are:

Legacy schemes

Legacy schemes are those that formed part of a previous programme but have continued to pay out, although they are closed for new applicants.

This is because some of the payments are paid over several years to match the lifecycle of the project they are supporting and inspections for them still take place. You can find out more about previous programmes using the link below.

Legacy schemes

Rural Priorities
Land Managers Option
Farm Woodland Premium Scheme
Habitats Scheme
Crofting Counties Agricultural Grant Scheme

What we will look for

The aim of a capital inspection is to check that funding you have received from us has been used correctly, in line with the rules of the scheme you have claimed from.

Depending on what scheme you have received funding through, these rules may vary but they will be detailed in the scheme guidance note.

For example, the inspector may check:

capital items, such as fences and hedges
animal welfare plans, lameness records and laboratory test reports
forestry and woodland creation planting
agriculture improvements such as drainage, slurry stores and sheds

While at your farm or business, the inspector will also verify any other information you will have provided when making your claim.

Inspection outcomes

Our inspections are designed to make sure that the Scottish agriculture and forestry industries comply with European Commission rules and if we do not meet these rules, the European Commission can fine the Scottish Government.

If you do fail part or all of your inspection, we will refer to this as a breach and may reduce your funding. Any reduction in payments will be assessed depending on how serious the breach is.