SRD03 - Investments in agricultural holdings for diversification

The measure is designed to encourage investment in business diversification activities that promote economic growth and sustainable development in rural areas, whilst also helping to improve territorial balance, in both economic and social terms. 
Furthermore, it contributes to the achievement of the general objectives set out in Article 5(c) (strengthening the socio-economic fabric of rural areas) and the following objectives of Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115:

• SO2 Improving market orientation and increasing the competitiveness of agricultural holdings in the short and long term, including through a greater focus on research, technology and digitalisation.
• SO8 To promote employment, growth, gender equality – including women’s participation in agriculture – social inclusion and local development in rural areas, including the circular bioeconomy and sustainable forestry.

Within the scope of the specific objectives set out in the SRD03 intervention sheet in the PSP, the following investment operations are being implemented:

1. Investments in agritourism (including educational farms) and wine tourism

2. Social farming

3. Facilities for the processing, preservation and marketing of products not listed in Annex I to the TFEU, obtained predominantly from farm produce.

Further information regarding eligibility criteria, eligible and ineligible expenditure, selection criteria and procedures for submitting aid applications is available in the text of the call for applications approved by Provincial Council Resolution No. 1959 of 29 November 2024.

Timetable for calls for applications: Measure and funding allocated per call

The total public expenditure for Measure SRD03 for the 2023–2027 programming period is €3,871,319.55.

Form and extent of support and expenditure limits for the intervention

1. Support is provided in the form of a capital grant.

2. The grants are awarded in accordance with Commission Regulation (EU) No 2023/2831 of 13 December 2023 on the application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to ‘de minimis’ aid.The total amount of ‘de minimis’ aid granted by a Member State to a single undertaking shall not exceed EUR 300,000 over a three-year period.

3. The amount of support is set out in the table below:

4. The minimum amount of eligible expenditure per aid application is €30,000.00 excluding VAT, both at the grant stage and at the final payment stage.

5. The maximum eligible expenditure per aid application is €500,000.00 excluding VAT.

6. In the case of applications submitted by farmers who have reached the age of 65 by the date of submission of the grant application, the maximum eligible expenditure is €100,000.00 excluding VAT. In the case of companies and business associations, this provision applies if the average age of the members is over 65 years.

7. The specific expenditure limits per investment project are set out in Annex 1 to Resolution No. 1959/2024.

Compatibility and cumulation with other support and incentives

With regard to the cumulation of aid and double funding, the provisions of Section 4.7.3, paragraph 2, of the PSP apply. In accordance with Chapter 4.7.3, applications for aid and payment shall be submitted via an information system designed to monitor and prevent double payment of interventions and to ensure compliance with the maximum aid intensity applicable to the intervention, as laid down in Title III of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115.

Demarcation (double funding)

1. With regard to Intervention SRG06 - LEADER – implementation of local development strategies: for applicants operating within the territorial scope of Intervention SRG06, for each individual project, initiatives with requested expenditure of less than 250,000.00 euros are not eligible under this Intervention SRD03.

2. The purchase of equipment and fittings for the display and tasting of the farm’s wine products is supported under the sectoral wine scheme – investments (formerly the CMO for Wine) and is therefore not eligible under the SRD03 scheme.

Cumulation of aid

1. Expenditure funded under this measure may not benefit from any other funding through European Union financial instruments.

2. For the same expenditure, support may be received through national State aid schemes (national or regional) only if the total cumulative amount granted through the various forms of support does not exceed the maximum aid intensity or the aid amount applicable to the type of intervention in question, in accordance with the provisions of Title III of Regulation (EU) 2021/2115.

Selection of aid applications

The requirements for the allocation of points must be met by the applicant at the time of submitting the grant application.

The single ranking list for access to grants, based on the aid applications submitted, is drawn up on the basis of scores awarded as specified in point 7 of Resolution No 1959/2024 and set out in the attached document.

Eligibility criteria for applicants

At the time of submitting the aid application, each applicant is required to create and keep their electronic farm file up to date in accordance with Presidential Decree No. 503/99, as amended and supplemented. The farm file comprises all the information declared by the farm, which is checked, verified and confirmed unambiguously via the SIGC. For information regarding the farm file, please contact the Provincial Payments Agency (APPAG) via the following link:http://www.appag.provincia.tn.it/APPAG/Fascicolo-aziendale.

For all investment operations, in order to ensure compliance with the restrictions on use referred to in point 12, the applicant must be the owner or holder of a registered right in rem of enjoyment over the land parcels or buildings concerned by the project. Alternatively, this requirement may be met by a partner in the applicant company, provided that 100 per cent of the ownership or other real right is attributable to the company’s partners.

The requirement for ownership of the asset or the holding of a registered right in rem to use the asset does not apply in the following cases:

a) investments not exceeding 100,000.00 euros, provided that the assets concerned are held by the applicant under a valid, duly registered right of use and the owner authorises the carrying out of the works envisaged by the investment

 b) operations relating to work on structures owned by public bodies, civic use bodies, consortia or foundations, which are leased or granted under concession to farmers by virtue of a suitable registered right of use.

Eligible beneficiaries are agricultural entrepreneurs, whether acting individually or as a group, in accordance with Article 2135 of the Civil Code, with the exception of entrepreneurs engaged exclusively in forestry, aquaculture, who hold an agricultural VAT number and are registered with the Chamber of Commerce (CCIAA) as of the date of submission of the application.

To submit an application, you must:

- have a digital signature;

- the person submitting the application (the applicant or the appointed adviser) must register on the portal, as specified on this web page

The application must be digitally signed by the person authorised to sign the document; otherwise, it will be deemed inadmissible.

For any assistance with accessing and registering on the portal, please contacthelpdesk.srtrento@provincia.tn.it.

Only one application for aid may be submitted

The following constitute grounds for the application to be deemed inadmissible:

1. failure to meet the deadlines for submitting applications;
2. the absence of information enabling the applicant to be unequivocally identified;
3. failure by the legal representative to sign the application;
4. submission of applications in a manner other than that set out above;
5. applications signed by a person other than the legal representative or an expressly authorised person, or which are unsigned.

Applications must be submitted online via the provincial agricultural information system, SRTrento, by 30 April 2025.Only registered users are permitted access to the members’ area.

SRTrento can also be accessed via the portalhttps://a4g.provincia.tn.it/.

For details of the documentation to be attached to the aid application, failing which the application will be deemed inadmissible, please refer to point 7.5 of the resolution on eligibility criteria No. 1959/2024.

PROCEDURAL PROCESS

The procedure for granting or refusing the grant is structured as follows:

1. an approval process, in which the Head of the Agriculture Department draws up a merit-based ranking of applications submitted within45 daysfrom the day following the deadline for submission of applications;

2. notification to the applicant by the person in charge of the procedure of their position on the ranking list eligible for funding, of any request to rectify or supplement the documentation for the purposes of the preliminary assessment, and of the request for the estimated quantity survey to be submitted in electronic format as a spreadsheet (.xls, .xlsx, .odf);

3. Alternatively, the applicant shall be notified of their position on the ranking list as ineligible for funding;

4. These criteria provide for a single call for proposals for the SRD03 Intervention in the 2023–2027 programming period, and this call utilises all the resources available under the 2023–2027 CSR financial plan. For this reason, it is deemed necessary, upon completion of the approval (or any rejection) of applications placed in a position eligible for funding on the priority ranking list within a maximum period of 18 months from the date of approval of the ranking list, to recover any savings resulting from: lower requirements identified during the assessment of individual applications, withdrawals, revocations or reduced payments, and any other factors that may result in the availability of resources within the financial plan established for the SRD03 intervention under the CSR. These resources will be used to move down the priority ranking list to cover applications included therein but not funded due to the exhaustion of resources. The ranking list may also be adjusted following any authorised increases to the CSR’s financial plan for Intervention SRD03. To this end, applicants will be asked to confirm their interest in receiving funding. The time limits for the procedure will recommence from the day following the date of approval of the priority ranking, which will confirm the availability of funds and the applications that will be included in this allocation;

5. The procedure concludes with a decision by the Head of the Agriculture Department within120 days of the approval of the ranking list (the deadline for the administrative procedure) to grant or refuse the grant to the applicant. The decision to grant the subsidy may, where justified, be subject to conditions and restrictions relating to the specific investment project;

6. notification of the grant or refusal of the subsidy.