Sustainable Farming Investment Scheme – Key Information

Eligibility for Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment

Please note that the following information is only about eligibility for Low Emission Slurry Spreading Equipment (LESSE). 

If you have previously received funding for LESSE under the Farm Business Improvement Scheme Capital, the system stated you are not eligible and did not allow you to apply for LESSE. This helps to provide support for LESSE to more farm businesses.

The existing Nutrients Action Programme 2019 - 2022 requires farm businesses with 200 or more cattle livestock units (LU) and/or a total annual livestock manure nitrogen production of 20,000 kg or more from pigs to use LESSE.

If you have 200 or more cattle livestock units, you are not eligible for LESSE.

If you are a pig breeder or finisher, and you selected a LESSE item, you were asked to provide details of your pig numbers for the previous 12 months. This information will be used to determine your eligibility for LESSE. Please note if your nitrogen production from pigs is determined to be 20,000kg or more, your LESSE application will be rejected.

You can calculate your cattle livestock units by using the stock count numbers, available on NIFAIS (Nitrogen Average). Please note you may have to wait 24 hours for the data after you request it. These figures can then be inserted into the CAFRE Livestock Units calculator to calculate your total livestock units for your business.

You can calculate the nitrogen produced by your pigs using your stock numbers for the previous 12 months. The N Loading Calculator can be used to calculate the nitrogen produced by pigs, available at: DAERA Online Services | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.

Do not include pigs (or any other livestock) in the cattle livestock unit calculation, or nitrogen produced by cattle (or any other livestock) in the pig nitrogen produced calculation.

Access to the Scheme Portal

As the scheme application and notifications are online, you need a Government Gateway or NI Direct Account (NIDA) to access the system. Most farm businesses will already have these set up. But if you do not already have either type of account, further information is available at: Registering for Government Gateway (GG) and NIDA Accounts | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

Please ensure that the email address you have registered with DAERA (under your Category 1 Farm Business ID) for your business is up to date. Contact your local DAERA Direct office if you need to update this.

Nomination of an Online Agent

You do not have to use an agent to complete a claim. However, if you wish, you can nominate an online agent to make a claim if you are successful. This can be done at any stage (before the final deadline for a claim if successful) via the DAERA Customer Portal.

For an agent to act on behalf of your business the following steps need to be taken:

1. The agent must register for this service (to be an online agent for the scheme) via the DAERA Customer Portal
2. Contact your chosen agent for their reference number and telephone number 
3. Select and nominate the online agent via the DAERA Customer Portal
4. The agent accepts the nomination

Further information regarding online agent nomination can be found here: Online Agent Nomination | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs

If you have any difficulties nominating an agent, then please contact your local DAERA Direct office.

If you nominate an Online Agent for the Scheme, then the Online Agent will have access to all the information relating to your farm business held on the scheme portal, including payment information and will also receive notifications via secure messaging.

It is important that all information provided via an agent is accurate and relates to your individual farm business.

Application Outcome

 All members of your farm business who have provided a valid email address and are registered with DAERA, will receive a secure message on the DAERA Customer Portal. This is to let you know that the outcome(s) of your application has been uploaded to the Scheme Portal. If you have nominated an agent, they will also receive a secure message.

Once logged into the Scheme Portal homepage, click on your LESSE or NON-LESSE application reference in the ‘All applications’ section to open the LESSE or Non-LESSE dashboard.

Scheme Dashboards - LESSE and/or Non-LESSE

Please note if you applied for LESSE and Non-LESSE items, the application outcomes will be available separately on the LESSE and / or Non-LESSE dashboard. You will need to accept or decline your Letter of Offer for LESSE and / or Non-LESSE separately.

If you receive a Letter of Offer it will be available under ‘Documents’ and you must accept or decline using the link under ‘Actions’.  Failure to accept the Letter of Offer(s) by the deadline (28 calendar days from the date of issue) will result in your Letter of Offer(s) expiring. 

Grant will not be paid on any items purchased prior to the date of a Letter of Offer. If a deposit is paid or invoice dated before the date of the Letter of Offer, then the full item amount will be deducted from the claim.