Key Dates
4 March - 5 May (or 10 June with late penalties)
- Single Application Form (SAF) 2024 available on RPW Online
4 March - 19 April
- Small Grants - Woodland Creation
6 March - 16 April
- Small Grants - Efficiency
20 May - 28 June
- Small Grants - Environment
3 June - 12 July
- Growing for the Environment (Autumn sowing)
Single Application Form (SAF) 2024
The Single Application Form (SAF) 2024 is now available to complete on RPW Online. Please ensure that you read the 2024 Single Application Rules booklet and the How to Complete guide before completing your application and make sure that you are familiar with the changes and how they may apply to your BPS claim.
The SAF 2024 must be used to claim payment for:
• Basic Payment Scheme (BPS),
including Young Farmer
• to apply to the National Reserve for an
allocation of entitlements if you so wish.
The following Rural Investment Schemes where you have a contract/or grant award letter must be claimed on the SAF 2024:
• Habitat Wales scheme (HWS)
• Organic Conversion Scheme (OCS)
• Woodland Creation Premium (WCP)
• Woodland Creation Maintenance (WCM).
Organic Support Scheme 2024
Application for payment must be made through the SAF 2024 due for submission by the 15 May 2024 Rural Development Woodland Creation scheme payments must be claimed on the SAF 2024
• Glastir Woodland Creation
Premium (GWCP)
• Glastir Woodland Maintenance (GCM)
• Glastir Woodland Creation Premium (GCP)
Completing SAF 2024
If you haven’t already completed your form you are advised to plan to complete your online SAF as soon as possible using the available guidance. If you have completed your form / or when you do complete the form it is important that you check the copy of your application, the summary and any sketch maps that you have submitted on RPW online to ensure that you have claimed for all the schemes / land that you wish to claim for.
Transfer of BPS Entitlements
You may transfer BPS Entitlements by sale, gift or lease until midnight 15 May 2024. Transfer of Entitlements online forms are available for you to complete using your RPW Online account. RPW must be notified by 15 May 2024 for the recipient to make a claim on entitlements they are receiving for the 2024 BPS scheme year.
Supporting Documents
If supporting documents are required, it is in your interest to submit as soon as possible. Failure to do so will affect the processing of your claims and could even
result in the rejection of your claim. The deadline for supporting documents for BPAS, OCS and OS is 31 December 2023
Cross Compliance - SAF 2024
If you have not already done so I would remind you that it is in your interest to regularly check and review the Cross Compliance regulations. gov.wales/cross-compliance-2024
SAF Digital Assistance
Our regional offices are open to the public strictly by appointment only. If you need additional support, particularly if you are completing the SAF for the first time the Customer Contact Centre can provide telephone support. The Customer Contact Centre can also make a ‘Digital Assistance’ appointment, if necessary, for you to attend a regional office where a member of staff can guide you through the process.
Nutrient Management Plan Digital Workbook
To support the Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) requirements a digital workbook has been developed: gov.wales/farm-pollution.
Woodland Schemes - Application Windows
In 2024 there is a new approach to the Woodland Creation Grant. There will only be one window which opened on 4th March 2024 and closes 22nd November 2024, or until the budget has been allocated. The Small Grant – Woodland Creation scheme will continue to have several windows throughout the year:
• three in 2024, and
• one planned in 2025 if budget is
agreed for 2025/26 financial year.
Small Grants - Efficiency - There have been some changes
The Small Grants – Efficiency scheme is a capital scheme designed to help farmers in Wales to improve the technical, financial, and environmental performance of their farm businesses. The objectives are to increase on-farm investment, increase technical performance, increase on-farm production efficiencies, increase on-farm resource efficiencies, and enhance the use of technology to improve management decisions. The application window opened on 6 March 2024 and will close on 16 April 2024. The maximum grant award is £15,000 and the minimum is £1,000. The grant provides a maximum 40% contribution towards capital investments in equipment and machinery (excluding VAT), which can be demonstrated as offering clear and quantifiable benefits to farm businesses. Participation in previous rounds of the Small Grants – Efficiency scheme will not affect your ability to apply for the maximum £15,000 grant (all applicants can apply for the maximum £15,000).