A competitive public procurement procedure has opened seeking service providers with the capability to develop a substantial social farming model project, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue has confirmed.

Funding of €400,000 is available this year, with a maximum of €100,000 available for any one project.

Minister McConalogue said: “Social farming is an exciting and successful venture that has many benefits.

“It’s an initiative which fosters inclusion amongst disadvantaged groups and has proven to allow participants build self-esteem and improve health and well-being.

“When operating from a working family farm, these initiatives support farm diversification and help farmers connect with the wider community.”

Tender

The tender has been posted on the eTenders website, with a closing date of 5pm on 10 May 2021.

Social farming is the practice of offering, on a voluntary basis, farming and horticultural participation in a farming environment as a choice to people who avail of a range of therapeutic day support services.

These operations are run in a number of settings, ranging from working family farms, local community initiatives and through to more institutional frameworks.