The structure of farming enterprises often includes a family trust as well as operating businesses. And often these businesses, though operationally separate, are linked to each other and to the trust through common shareholdings (and /or beneficial interests).
A problem with these types of structure is that it can be hard to advise on who may be eligible for what under Axis 3 - (whether its M311 diversification and/or M312 micro-enterprises, and/or M313 tourism development).
To try to better understand the issue I have come up with 5 questions – see below. I would be interested to have your input to this in terms of:
- Are these the right questions?
- If not, what do you think are the right questions?
- Do you have answers to any of the questions?
- Do you have any ideas about where to look for the answers?
These are my 5 questions:
- Can a trust be the applicant and beneficiary under M311 (i.e.where the purpose of the project is to support farm business restructuring?
- Can a trust be "a person" that might be eligible under M312 or M313?
- If the project relates to conversion or alternative use of property for use in an agricultural activity (i.e its clearly not a diversification or tourism project), can a grant be given under M312 - support for micro-enterprises?
- If grant can be given under M312 for an agricultural-related activity or a non-agricultural-related activity, would or could the grant be to the farming business (assuming micro-enterprise criteria are met by the business) or would / could the grant have to be to the farm business owner?
- For the project to be supported under M312 or 313 does a new micro-enterprise have to be created (e.g separate from the farm business) - and / or can the funding be awarded to the farm business owner or the farm business or another of the pre-existing linked businesses?
