Applicants are able to change their Rural Priorities proposal up to the time it has been committed. The vast majority of changes are expected to occur then because of the dialogue with their Case Officer.
Other changes may occur:
- between RPAC approval and contract signing; and
- post contract sign and return.
In all such cases, applicants must request the change in writing or by email.
Any proposed change must adhere to the principle that it must not affect the delivery of the regional priority, put the project's viability at risk or take an application's score below the approved threshold.
A description of each stage, and the rules that apply, is shown below.
Between RPAC approval and contract signing (pre-contract amendments)
These can be permitted only if the contract has not been signed.
It should be noted that only in exceptional circumstances, such as an increase in the achievement of national targets, will an increase in value of the contract be permissible. This increase may be up to a maximum value of 1% of the contract or £1000, whichever is the lesser.
At this stage, only the following relatively minor changes are allowed:
- Correcting typographic or arithmetic errors;
- Transposition errors, for example mixing 3s for 8s or 5s;
- Minor omissions, for example use of acres instead of hectares;
- Proposal details affected by IT shortcomings;
- Proposal details affected by delays in contract issue, e.g. field sown in a crop not eligible under RP option, in order to meet SAF/IACS deadline
- Proposal details affected by changes to scheme guidance since the proposal was committed.
Case Officers must record the reason for the amendment on the variation screen. Please note that this is a mandatory field.
Post contract sign and return (contract variation)
These are permitted in exceptional or unforeseeable circumstances only. Requests for a contract variation must be made in writing to your Case Officer. In all cases where work detailed in your contract will not be claimed within the scheduled year, you must notify us accordingly. You should apply for a variation as soon as possible and no later than 29 October of the scheduled year. Where failure to submit a claim for contracted work within a scheduled claim year puts your project's viability at risk, it may jeopardise your entire Rural Priorities contract and payments already received may be recovered.