The Funding Agency for Rural Investments (AFIR) has published new consultative guides for the first calls for project proposals that will be launched starting with March 2016. Guides for the following sub-measures were published: 4.1 “Investments in agricultural holdings”, 4.2 “Support for investments in processing / marketing and / or development of agricultural products”, 4.3 „Support for investments related to development, modernization or adaptation of agriculture and forestry infrastructure” – road access infrastructure component, 4.3 „Support for investments related to development, modernization or adaptation of agriculture and forestry infrastructure” –irrigation  component, 6.1 Support for setting-up young farmers, 6.3 “Business start-up aid for the development of small farms”, 7.2 “Investments in creation and modernization of small-scale infrastructure”, 7.6 “Investments associated with the protection of cultural heritage”. The documents can be consulted here.

We present more details for two of the most attractive financing lines for the private sector, such as:

• Sub measure 4.1 Investments in agricultural holdings

Type of investments to be financed: Construction, extension, modernization and endowment of constructions from livestock or vegetal farms etc.

Grant awarded: up to 2.000.000 euro.
Financing rate: up to 90% of eligible expenses.

• Sub measure 4.2 Support for investments in processing / marketing and / or development of agricultural products

Type of investments to be financed: Setting-up, extension and / or modernization and endowment of processing units, including investments in products’ marketing (e.g. labelling, packaging), local networks of collection, reception, storage, conditioning, selection and packaging capacity etc.

Grant awarded: up to 2.500.000 euro.
Financing rate: up to 50% of eligible expenses.

Comparing with the previous sessions, starting with 2016, a beneficiary can submit more than one project within the same sub-measure, in the same session or in different sessions, if the total value of the requested grant meets several conditions from the Applicant’s Guide regarding the types of investments made.