Brexit Sustainable Aquaculture Growth Scheme

The purpose of the scheme is to mitigate the adverse economic and social consequences of the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the Union on:

(1) Seafood processors adversely affected by loss of raw material supply arising from the TCA quota reductions,

(2) Aquaculture enterprises directly impacted by the UK withdrawal, and

(3) Coastal communities adversely affected by a broad range of impacts arising from the TCA quota reductions and wider Brexit impacts.

Who is Eligible?

This scheme is open to aquaculture producers who have a statutory consent to engage in aquaculture and any necessary consent under the Foreshore Acts, and who are in compliance with the terms and conditions of those consents.

However, applications in respect of sites located in marine Special Areas of Conservation, designated in accordance with the European Union Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC)(as amended), and/or Special Protection Areas, designated in accordance with EU Birds Directive (2009/147/EC), that are awaiting a determination of an aquaculture licence application/renewal made under Section 10 of Fisheries Amendment Act 1997, will not be eligible under this scheme.

Eligible Projects

Eligible projects must be focussed on the purchase and installation of new machinery and equipment and construction of new premises in relation to the following categories of investment:

• Investments increasing the production of an aquaculture enterprise
• Investments in enhancing the quality of, or in adding value to, aquaculture products
• Diversification of aquaculture production and species cultured
• Purchase and installation within an aquaculture site of equipment that generates energy from renewable energy sources.
• Equipment that enables producers to power operations within an aquaculture site directly from the electricity grid (thus reducing the use of generators)
• Investments substantially increasing energy efficiency of the aquaculture enterprise
• Promotion of closed aquaculture systems where aquaculture products are farmed in closed recirculation systems, thereby minimising water use
• Investments substantially reducing the negative impact or substantially enhancing the positive effects on the environment and substantially increasing resource efficiency
• Investments resulting in a substantial reduction in the impact of aquaculture enterprises on water usage and quality, in particular through reducing the amount of water or chemicals, antibiotics and other medicines used, or through improving the output water quality, including through the deployment of multi–trophic aquaculture systems
• Setting up of sustainable aquaculture enterprises by ‘new aquaculture farmers’
• Modernisation of aquaculture units, including the improvement in working and safety conditions of aquaculture workers
• Improvements and modernisation related to animal health and welfare, including the purchase of equipment aiming at protecting the farms from wild predators
• Commissioning costs for the above equipment up to maximum of 15% of the equipment costs by the equipment supplier or their approved agents.

Operations contributing to compliance with union law must deliver demonstrably substantial additional benefits beyond legal requirements.

Ineligible Expenditure

The following expenditure is ineligible for support.

• VAT
• Investments that are the subject of any other public aid.
• Expenditure for the purchase of land and/or buildings and related expenditure.
• Intangible costs (such as cost of pre-financing and of arranging loans and interest, administrative costs, patents, invitations to tender and costs relating to the purchase of a concession to operate fish farming).
• Second-hand buildings, plant, machinery, equipment, boats, etc. and any associated installation costs.
• Cost of Housing.
• Repair and maintenance work
  The like for like replacement of existing equipment and machinery, except where the replacement involves a demonstrably substantial enhancement in terms of efficiency, productivity or environmental performance.
• Provisional work not directly linked to the implementation of a project except where it makes possible a reduction in overall project cost.
• Landscaping, other embellishment works, except those specifically required as a condition of planning and recreational equipment costs.
• Purchase of vehicles for passenger transport and vehicles required for market distribution.
• Office equipment and furniture, including but not limited to, desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and mobile phones.
• The purchase of material which is normally written off within a year.
• Goods purchased under Hire Purchase agreements.
• Goods purchased under leasing agreements.
• Consultancy costs not directly related to the planning, preparation, and execution of the project, including costs of management consultancy.
• Statutory fees and charges
• Electricity grid connection costs
• Operations identified as ineligible under article 13 of Regulation 2021/1139.
• Operations related to the farming of genetically modified organisms.
• Operations consisting of investments in equipment or infrastructure for the sole purpose of ensuring compliance with Union law imposing mandatory requirements relating to the environment, human or animal health, hygiene, or animal welfare.

Amounts Granted

The following payments apply to applicants approved under the Scheme.

• IMTA means Integrated Multi-trophic Aquaculture, a planned, consolidated system farming species on different trophic levels on the same or connected aquaculture sites or facilities.
• RAS means a Recirculating Aquaculture System, an aquaculture farming system where water is recirculated and exchange is limited and waste products are required to be removed by filtration and /or biofilters.
• Climate change investment means, for the purposes of this scheme:- Purchase and installation within an aquaculture site of equipment that generates energy from renewable sources.
  – Equipment that enables producers to power operations within an aquaculture site directly from the electricity grid (thus reducing the use of generators)

Guidance Notes for Applications in Excess of €5m

If a project, or combination of projects, applying for grant aid under the Brexit Sustainable Aquaculture Growth Scheme has a value in excess of €5m, additional documentation must be provided to supplement your grant application. This does not need to be submitted with your online application, but you will be contacted after submission, and you will be asked to provide the following additional evidence. It is therefore advisable to prepare this documentation while preparing your online application.

Environmental impact:

• This must include an environmental strategy setting out the applicants’ commitment to reducing the organisations carbon footprint and the improvement of environmental performance.

Value for money:

• A cost benefit analysis of the proposal
• Evidence of the need for State investment
• The direct benefits to the Irish economy arising from the direct economic expenditure such as employment or impact on local suppliers
• The indirect benefits to the Irish economy arising from the direct economic expenditure such as the development of transferable skills and expertise or the enhancement of the reputation of Ireland on world markets.