Annex 5: Hints and tips for filling in your online application form

This annex lists hints and tips for filling in your online application form

When filling in your form remember….	Details
your details in the application form must be the same as the details held in the Rural Payments service	We use the email, Single Business Identifier (SBI), Customer Reference Number (CRN), permissions and business details registered in the Rural Payments service to make sure that you can legally apply for this grant on behalf of the business. As you have registered these details in the Rural Payments service using the GOV.UK Verify process, the details you give us on your application form must be the same. We also need to make sure that we have the correct contact details, for data protection purposes. You must check your Rural Payments service record before you apply, to make sure the details are up-to-date. Check that the details you have added to your application form match the details in the Rural Payments service.
that your Customer Reference Number (CRN) is not the same as a Firm Reference Number (FRN)	The CRN is used to identify you as an individual. The FRN is used for firm details that are not required for this application.
check availability of items	You should check the availability of items: check with suppliers to confirm the availability and expected timescale of items that meet the required specification and that they are in line with the standard costs in the handbook. This is particularly important if items are being purchased from outside the UK due to exchange rate changes. Please do not buy or pay deposits for your items. You must not commit to any expenditure or buy any of the items you have included in your application until we have approved your application and issued a Grant Funding Agreement. If you do, your application or claim for grant will be rejected.

If you need to find…..	Details
how to update the Rural Payments service	Guidance on updating details in the Rural Payments service can be found on GOV.UK.
your Customer Reference Number (CRN) number	Please see our YouTube clip on how to find your CRN number on Verify

how to find your CRN number.

If you are not registered on Verify, please call the helpline on 03000 200 301 and select the options to speak to the Rural Payments team.

If you have received a letter advising that your application didn’t match the Rural Payments service remember to….	Details
check your details	Look at both the Rural Payments service and your application and make sure your email, Single Business Identifier (SBI), Customer Reference Number (CRN), permissions, address, postcode and business details match.
reapply	Re-enter your application on the CPSG Online Portal by the closing date of noon on 4 November 2020.

What to do if….	Details
your actual purchase cost is less than the ‘Standard Cost’	The standard cost for each item is the actual fixed price which we will pay grant towards. The amount won’t change whether the cost of the item goes up or down, as long as the item purchased meets the minimum specification. Standard costs have been carefully researched and verified and it is unlikely that a significantly cheaper item will meet the minimum required specification. If you buy any item that doesn’t meet the specification, the whole claim will be ineligible and no grant will be paid.
you can’t meet the minimum grant spend	Don’t purchase items that you will not use. You sign up to the terms and conditions of the grant by submitting an application. Photographs will be required to show the item is in situ and working order. Items must be available at an inspection or site visit to make sure that they are on site and fully working. If you are unable to evidence this, the claim will be rejected or grant recovered.
you wish to buy one piece of equipment that does the job of two	You can’t purchase one piece of equipment which meets two specifications and claim for both items. We have set specifications and have established standard costs for all the items listed in this Round of the small grant scheme. If the piece of equipment you want to purchase combines the functionality of several items listed at Annex 3 of the handbook, you can only consider the piece of equipment as one of those items and can only apply for that item. The other functions will be considered as taking the piece of equipment to a higher specification.
you decide not to buy all the items you have applied for	If this is before the closing date, you can submit a new application and your old one will be automatically withdrawn. If after the closing date you are made an offer of grant funding, you must purchase all of the items in your application or you will not receive any grant.
you buy an item which has additional features	You are able to purchase an item which is of a higher specification and is more expensive providing the item meets the minimum specification at Annex 3. However, the grant will only be calculated on the standard cost for that item and you will need to cover the cost difference yourself.

What details should my supplier include on their invoice

Details should:

• individually describe each item in full
• breakdown of the cost of each item
• include the manufacturer’s make and model
• ideally quote the relevant SG item code from Annex 3
• be addressed to the same individual or business as detailed in the GFA email
• include the supplier’s name, address, VAT number and date

Here is an example of what it should look like:-

What details should my my bank statement include

Bank statements must include the:

• bank’s name and logo
• account holder name in full
• account number
• account balance – opening and closing balance of the bank statement period
• sort code
• transaction date
• transaction type (including payee ref/cheque number)
• transaction amount

Here is an example of what it should look like:-

What details should my photos include

All photographs must meet the following standards:

• show the item specification, in situ and working on your farm (not a representation of the item from a supplier)
• be clear, in focus, in colour and clearly show the capital item, and with no other objects in front of the item
• one of the photographs you supply of the item must include make and model^{[footnote 1]} number, to show the eligibility of the items against the specifications in Annex 3
• digital images must should not be smaller than 600 x 400 pixels and ideally the image file size no larger than 400 KB.
• for Handling Systems (SG1/2/27/28/31), photographs must demonstrate the layout of the system.

Here is an example of what photos should and shouldn’t look like:-

1. The make and model has been removed from the photos so as not to promote one supplier. ↩