Guidance

Guidance for managing a successful Slurry Infrastructure grant project

Published 19 January 2024

Applies to England

This guidance is for successful applicants who have been awarded a Slurry Infrastructure grant. It explains the steps you must follow to comply with the funding rules for your grant.

If you have been awarded another Farming Transformation Fund (FTF) grant, follow the guidance for Managing a successful Farming Transformation Fund project.

About your Grant Funding Agreement

Your Grant Funding Agreement (GFA) is the legally binding agreement between the agreement holder and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). It contains:

• Part 1: agreement letter and annexes
• Part 2: terms and conditions

The table below explains some terms used in the FTF application process.

Term used	Definition
The applicant	applies for an FTF grant
The agreement holder	is the person in overall control of the project and who takes responsibility for meeting the FTF rules. In most cases, the single point of contact for the project is the agreement holder.
The project management team	is the RPA team you contact for your project. The contact details are in your FTF GFA.
The agreement	is a legally binding grant funding agreement between the agreement holder and RPA. It is made up of: Part 1: agreement letter and annexes Part 2: terms and conditions

The important points of your agreement letter and annexes in Part 1 include:

• the total expenditure which is eligible for funding, a list of items eligible for grant funding and the grant rate (%)
• details of your grant claims by date and amount, based on the information in your application
• the outputs which your project should achieve and any special conditions you must meet

You must meet the terms and conditions in Part 2 as a condition of receiving the grant.

You should read both parts of your agreement carefully and in full, so that you understand your legal rights and responsibilities under the agreement.

If you need more information about your agreement or it appears that your project is not on track to meet conditions, outputs, or financial profile, you should contact your project management team as soon as possible.

How VAT is handled

Your GFA tells you how VAT will be handled in the project. This is based on the information you gave in your application. If your VAT status changes within the period of the contract, you must tell RPA straight away. If you do not, we may recover funds.

Agreement holders are fully responsible for their own VAT affairs.

How tax is handled

Grant payments under FTF are subject to normal UK tax rules, so you may need to tell HMRC about this grant. For more information, speak with your accountant or search for ‘BIM40451’ on GOV.UK.

Your Single Business Identifier (SBI)

RPA uses the SBI you registered your business against to pay your claims. You must make sure that your business bank details are also registered with RPA, otherwise payment of your claim will be delayed. If you need to check that we have your correct business bank details, please call us on 03000 200 301.

Suppliers

The Slurry Infrastructure grant uses reference costs to work out the maximum amount of grant you could receive. As no quotes have been submitted, you can use a supplier of your choice.

Submitting claims

You should follow the claims schedule in Part 1 of your agreement to submit claims.

When to make a claim

You can submit a claim earlier than the scheduled date.

If you think there will be a delay in submitting any claims, you must discuss this with RPA as soon as possible. In some circumstances RPA may agree to a written request to delay the timing of your claim.

Completing the claim form

You must keep accurate records of all expenditure which you wish to claim grant on.

You will receive a claim form that must be completed by the persons who signed the agreement or someone who has permission to ‘Make legal changes’ or ‘Full permissions’ for the business as detailed on the Rural Payments service.

The claim form contains important information about completing your claim form:

• Section 1: Claim details
• Section 2: Approved grant funding
• Section 3: Detail of grant amount you wish to claim
• Section 4: Confirming your claim
• Annex 1: Progress report
• Annex 2: Asset register
• Annex 3: Continuation sheet

You can only update the parts of the form that you need to complete.

Sections 1 and 2 of the claim form will be completed for you, but you should check this information to make sure it is correct.

Section 3 must be completed by the agreement holder or someone who has permission to ‘Make legal changes’ or ‘Full permissions’ for the business.

Amount you wish to claim (£)	This is the amount you want to claim on this claim. The amount you wish to claim must be calculated as follows: Your grant award is based on reference costs to work out the maximum amount of grant you could get. You will be able to claim the reference cost per item or 50% of the total eligible invoiced costs, whichever is the lower amount. The invoiced costs (excluding VAT) of the project items listed in section 2 of your claim form, multiplied by the % on the Claim Schedule table also listed in section 2 of your claim form. If your GFA confirms you can claim VAT then do not exclude this from your calculation. If you are submitting more than one invoice, carry out this calculation on each invoice and add all amounts together to make your claim.
Number of invoices attached to support eligible costs	This is the number of invoices that contain eligible expenditure to support the amount you want to claim.
Number of bank statements attached to support invoice payments	This is the number of bank statements that support the invoices you have submitted.
Number of photos attached to evidence spend and confirm serial numbers	This is the number of photos that support the claim. They should show progress of building works, installation of items and/or serial numbers where relevant. If any items being installed and claimed for will not be visible once the project is complete, take photos during the construction phases. For example, agitators.

Section 4 is the total amount you wish to claim and the declaration that you are signing up to by submitting your claim. You should total up the amounts from the section 3 column ‘Amount you wish to claim (£)’ and enter this figure in section 4.

Annex 1 – Progress report

The first 2 columns will be completed for you. Please fill in the remaining columns as follows.

In progress	Select the relevant drop-down option. If you select ‘behind schedule’ you must explain further on annex 3.
Complete	Select the relevant drop-down option. If you select ‘behind schedule’ you must explain further on annex 3.
Date completed	Enter the date the output or project specific condition was completed.

You need to collect and keep evidence of the outputs and conditions met, and submit copies of this information with grant claims and progress reports.

Annex 2 - Asset register

The asset register records capital assets bought as part of the project. You should submit a completed copy if your claim contains a capital asset and an updated copy should be submitted with your final claim, if appropriate. You should include photographs of the capital assets and the serial numbers.

Annex 3 – Continuation sheet

You should use the continuation sheet to provide additional information regarding any outputs or project specific conditions that are behind schedule. Detail as much information as you can about why progress is delayed and any new dates for expected completion. If required, a member of the Grants Service team will contact you to discuss further.

Once you have completed and checked your claim form, send an electronic copy to GSClaimSubmission@rpa.gov.uk along with all invoices, bank statements, photos and any other supporting documentation.

If you are submitting your final claim, make sure you have requested an independent chartered, civil, or structural engineer to submit a Construction Assurance Declaration form to GSClaimSubmission@rpa.gov.uk for your project. A copy of this form was sent to you with your GFA.

Expenditure is eligible where it:

• contributes directly to the operation and delivery of the project
• is listed in Part 1 of your agreement
• is exclusively for the project
• is incurred after the project start date
• is for items which have been fully paid for by the agreement holder business and evidence is provided with the claim, for example, the business bank statement

Payments will not be accepted if they are made from personal accounts or a different business account.

Supporting your claim

You must provide the following documents to support your claim.

Invoices

You must include invoices that:

• are addressed to the same person or business as detailed in the GFA
• show the supplier’s name, address, telephone number, VAT number and date
• fully describe the work done and cost of each item, or describes work separately

If an invoice is emailed to you from a supplier, you should forward the original email with the invoice attached.

Invoices should include detail such as working capacity (m3) of the store, what material covers are made of, the surface area covered (m2), and confirmation that any British Standards in item specifications are met.

If your invoice is for a deposit or staged payment, you must also include a quote or schedule of works that cost out each item and describe the works.

Bank statements

You must submit original or true copies of business bank statements showing the invoice payment being made and the cheque number of the payment, if applicable.

You can submit screenshots from an online account showing payment details and bank logos, or a certified report printed from a banking system. RPA cannot accept edited bank statements.

If payment has been made by cheque, a photograph of the cheque book stub is required to confirm the payee.

Bank statements should include the:

• bank’s name and logo
• account holder’s name in full
• account number / IBAN number
• transaction date
• transaction type (including payee ref and cheque number)
• transaction amount
• date bank evidence generated

BACS payments

For BACS payments, RPA will need to see the full audit trail including the report that details all the invoices in the BACS payment. RPA will only need to see the invoices that relate to the claim.

Credit card purchases

For items purchased by credit cards, you will need to show that the item has been purchased in full by a credit card linked to the agreement holder business. If any other credit card is used, there must be evidence to show that the item is transferred to the ownership of the agreement holder before a claim is made.

Deposits

You can only claim for deposits on items if you have previously discussed and agreed them with us. These deposits should not be more than 40% of the value of the item and will be paid at the GFA grant rate, not in full.

Multiple invoices or payments

Where an invoice includes a number of items but not all are eligible, you must explain which items you intend to claim for on that invoice. RPA will only pay grants for these eligible items. Invoices must be paid in full.

If you’ve made a payment to a supplier that covers more than one invoice, you need to provide copies of all the invoices included in the payment. Alternatively you could provide a copy of your account summary or statement from your supplier providing it includes invoice numbers and amounts.

Payments in any other currency

If your claim includes payments made in any currency other than pound (£) sterling, you will need to convert these to pound (£) sterling on your claim form using the exchange rate on the date the invoice was paid. Find the exchange rate using HMRC exchange rates on GOV.UK.

If the exchange rate on the day the invoice was paid means you have paid less than the cost listed in Part 1 of your agreement, this is the amount you are eligible to claim. If the exchange rate on the day the invoice was paid means you have paid more than the cost listed in Part 1 of your agreement, you can only claim grant up to the amount offered in pound (£) sterling in your agreement for the work or item.

Cash payments

You must not make cash payments for any items on which you wish to claim grant. This is because you cannot provide a satisfactory audit trail for cash payments. RPA will reject cash payments included in your grant claim.

Asset register

The asset register records capital assets bought as part of the project. You should keep this for a minimum of 5 years from the final payment date and submit a copy as part of the final claim submission.

Record keeping

As evidence of project outputs, you will need to keep a full record of project progress and collect evidence of the outputs, milestones and conditions achieved. This information will need to be provided with grant claims.

How RPA processes your claim

RPA will check your claim form and supporting evidence and may need to ask you for more information in support of your claim.

RPA aims to pay complete claims within 30 working days. You may need to account for this if it will affect the cash flow of your project or business. Claims that are incomplete or need a site visit may take longer to process.

For projects with more than one claim, RPA will make the final payment once the project is both financially and physically complete. This will be for at least 25% of your total grant.

You must follow the payment profile set out in your agreement and make sure that the minimum claim value is not less than £2,000. You must not claim more than 75% of your grant before the final claim. If you claim more than the amount profiled for each budget heading, or for each claim, we will reprofile your remaining claim(s) or reduce your grant accordingly.

RPA will adjust your claim amount if invoiced costs are less than referenced costs.

If you have any other queries when preparing your claim, please contact RPA for advice.

Errors and late claims

If you make a mistake, you can resubmit your claim form if RPA has not already told you about the error. If you have any questions or concerns about completing the claim form correctly, contact RPA before you submit your claim.

RPA will work out the claim payment on what is eligible in the claim. If there are errors, it will remove any ineligible amounts from the claim.

If your claim does not reach RPA on time, is incomplete or not in accordance with the scheme rules and guidance, then it may take enforcement action, such as withholding payment or reducing part or all your grant.

Progress reports by the agreement holder

You must start the grant funded project within 3 months of the start date in your agreement. You must discuss any delay in the start date with RPA as soon as possible. In some circumstances RPA may agree to a written request to change the timing of the start date.

You must complete progress reports and provide evidence of the outputs and conditions met for the duration of the GFA.

Report a change of circumstance

You must notify RPA as soon as possible and request a variation to your contract of any change of circumstance which might affect your project or GFA. This should be before the change takes place. RPA will assess all variation requests and write to you with the results.

If you want to alter your design in any way, you must notify RPA and request a variation as soon as possible. It is possible that your request may need to be referred to the Environment Agency for consideration, and RPA will contact them if required.

If RPA agrees to the change, it will write to you and inform you of any changes to your agreement.

In some cases, RPA may need more information before making a decision. For example, if you want to use a different supplier from the preferred supplier identified in your application, you will need to:

• make sure that any new supplier meets the requirements in the ‘How to fill in a full application’ guidance
• submit a quote from the new supplier for the same specification of item or works

Make sure you receive written consent before making any changes. In some cases, you will receive a ‘variation acknowledgment’ from us. You must complete the form and return it to RPA.

RPA may refuse to pay your claim, or it may reclaim payments if:

• you make changes without written consent
• there is a change of circumstance that affects the progress of the project
• you do not comply with the grant agreement
• you’re not entitled to the payment

You must continue to notify RPA of changes for 5 years after the date of your final grant payment.

You must notify RPA before:

• making any changes in the ownership of the business that applied for grant aid
• making any changes in the ownership of the grant aided items
• the business or grant aided enterprise/activity ceases trading or fundamentally changes the nature of its activities
• any grant aided assets are sold, become redundant, or cease to be used for the purpose for which they were grant aided
• granting any legal charge over any land or other asset funded in whole or in part by the grant

If you make changes to your project during the term of your agreement without our prior consent, the grant may be reclaimed pro-rata, effective for 5 years from the date of your final grant payment.

Good reasons for a breach of agreement

If the delivery of your project is affected by events outside your control which leads to a breach of the agreement, you must write to RPA as soon as possible but no longer than 8 weeks after the event.

Examples of good reasons for a breach may include, but are not limited to:

• natural events, such as prolonged adverse weather conditions, flooding, or animal or plant disease
• if you are seriously ill
• the death of an agreement holder
• unforeseen loss of management control of land, for example when a tenancy is terminated, or because of the compulsory purchase of land by a third party
• financial circumstances, such as bankruptcy
• supply chain problems - you must provide evidence of this
• criminal damage by a third party, such as arson or vandalism

If you’re aware of the issue when entering into your agreement, it is unlikely RPA will consider it to be a good reason for a breach.

You should explain the circumstances of your case and include any documentary evidence to support this.

RPA will consider any breach on a case-by-case basis and decide whether to relieve the agreement holder of their obligation(s) under the agreement or if enforcement action is required.

Breaching your agreement

If you breach your agreement and it is not deemed to be a reason outside of your control, or if you have committed an offence, RPA will investigate and may withhold grant payments until it has made a decision. It will keep you informed and allow you to make a representation before it reaches its decision.

RPA will decide on the severity of the breach before deciding on what action it will take. RPA could:

• withhold all or part of a payment
• recover money already paid
• terminate your agreement

RPA will tell you about the decision in writing and explain how you can respond. Read part 2: terms and conditions for more information.

Keeping records and site visits

The agreement holder must keep all project records for at least 7 years from the date of the final payment of grant. This includes invoices, receipts and bank statements and information related to project outputs.

Defra, RPA, or an organisation appointed by them, may complete a site visit during the lifetime of the project to:

• track expenditure through your records and bank statements
• check all FTF grant funded buildings and equipment
• interview the person who has managed the project
• check staff records, if appropriate

You will also need to provide evidence that the project is meeting the agreed outputs described in your agreement.

Post-payment monitoring

When your project is complete and all grant payments have been made, you may need to submit a post-payment monitoring report to us. You will be sent a template to complete at appropriate timescales compared to your outputs or project specific conditions. This is your opportunity to tell us how your project is progressing against the outputs agreed in your agreement.

Publicity requirements

You need to follow any guidance from RPA about acknowledgement and publicity of the grant. This includes using templates or materials if provided. It may also include a statement on an agreement holder’s business website or poster, plaque or billboard on their land or premises.

More guidance will be published when available.

Making a complaint

If you’re unhappy with a decision or with the service provided by RPA, read our complaints procedure on GOV.UK.

If you’re still unhappy with our decision

If you’re unhappy about our service, you can ask your MP to raise your case with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman. You must do this within 12 months of your initial complaint. They would only investigate a case after this deadline in special circumstances.

If it is about a decision we’ve made, you can appeal.

How to appeal

You must appeal in writing within 60 days of receiving our decision letter. You should use appeal form CA1. If you cannot access the form, you should contact the Helpline on 03000 200 301.

You should read further information about appeals.