The Women Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (WFCIS) under TAMS III is now open for applications.

The scheme provides an incentive to women farmers to upgrade their agricultural buildings and equipment by providing them with an increased level of support (60%) to meet the considerable capital costs associated with the establishment of their enterprises.

The scheme is open to female farmers who are more than 18 years and under 67 years of age at the date of submitting the application form.

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They must own or have leasehold title to the site on which it is proposed to carry out the development, have a minimum of 5ha declared under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) or the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) or equivalent in the year of application or preceding year.

Tillage investments

For tillage-related investments, they must have a minimum of 15ha of eligible crops, or in the case of intensive enterprises, generate a minimum of 20 production units from farming.

For equine investments, they must have a minimum of three equines declared on the equine census or equivalent in the year preceding application.

A woman farmer can only qualify for one holding or entity under this scheme.

Grant aid is paid at the rate of 60% up to a maximum of €90,000 per holding.

Multiple applications per tranche are allowed. However, the minimum amount of investment which is eligible for approval under this scheme is €2,000 per application.

Exception

Applicants who receive approval to proceed with investment works at the maximum ceiling of €90,000 under this scheme are not eligible to apply for grants under any other TAMS II scheme, with the exception of the Low Emissions Slurry Spreading (LESS) Equipment Scheme.

In the case of an application by two or more eligible partners, the maximum increases to €160,000.

For the full list of terms and conditions outlined by the Department of Agriculture, see here.