Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme

About this scheme

AWNSS is a capital grant scheme under TAMS 3 that funds farm buildings and equipment supporting animal welfare, improved working and production conditions, farm competitiveness, storage of animal excreta/soiled water/farmyard manure, and equine welfare. Two rates apply depending on the type of investment: general investments are grant-aided at 40% of eligible costs, while dedicated nutrient storage investments attract a higher 60% rate, each with its own €90,000 investment ceiling (€160,000 for registered farm partnerships). The minimum eligible investment per application is €2,000, and multiple applications per tranche are allowed. To qualify, an applicant needs at least 5 hectares of declared BISS/BPS land (or 20 production units for intensive enterprises) and a Department identifier; equine-only investments require an additional minimum of 3 equines on the Equine Census. Applications are made online via agfood.ie and ranked each tranche against criteria including applicant age, holding size, Area of Natural Constraint status, and prior related-scheme payments.

Who can apply

• Applicant must have a minimum of 5 hectares of owned, leased or rented land declared under BISS (or BPS) in the year of application or the preceding year, OR, for intensive enterprises, generate a minimum of 20 production units from farming
• Must have a Department identifier (e.g. herd number, flock number, equine premises registration number)
• For equine investments only: must additionally have a minimum of 5 hectares declared under BISS/BPS and a minimum of 3 equines declared on the Equine Census (or equivalent) in the year preceding application
• Minimum eligible investment per application is €2,000
• Multiple applications per tranche are permitted, subject to the applicant's remaining investment ceiling
• Applications are ranked and selected against published criteria including age of applicant (priority to younger farmers), size of holding/enterprise, location in an Area of Natural Constraint, and prior payments under related TAMS/capital investment schemes
• General investments (e.g. animal housing, roofing of feed yards, slurry scrapers, meal bins, sheep fencing, rainwater harvesting): grant-aided at 40% of eligible costs, up to a €90,000 investment ceiling per holding (€160,000 for two or more partners in a registered farm partnership)
• Dedicated nutrient storage investments (mass concrete tanks, manure pits, circular slurry stores, geo-membrane lined stores, and related sub-investments): grant-aided at a higher 60% rate, with their own separate €90,000 (€160,000 partnership) ceiling

How to apply

1. 1Register for the Department's online services at agfood.ie if not already registered.
2. 2Submit the application online via agfood.ie, either yourself or through an authorised agent; multiple applications per tranche are allowed, each subject to the €2,000 minimum investment threshold.
3. 3Applications received in a tranche are assessed and ranked against the scheme's selection criteria (age, holding/enterprise size, Area of Natural Constraint status, prior related scheme payments); an unsuccessful valid application is carried forward to one further tranche before automatic rejection.
4. 4On approval, complete the works within 12 months of the approval date (or the date specified in the approval letter), notifying the Department at least 5 working days before key construction stages (e.g. pouring concrete) where required for certain investments.
5. 5Submit the payment claim online with all required supporting documentation (geo-tagged photos of completed sub-investments, tax clearance certificates, farm safety training evidence, receipts/invoices, relevant quality certificates); grant aid is paid at 40% (or 60% for nutrient storage investments) of the lowest of the reference cost, invoiced cost, or proposed cost, up to the relevant ceiling.