Business Development Groups Scheme reopens

CAFRE has announced the third tranche of the Business Development Groups Scheme opened for applications on Friday, 1st December at 2.00pm.
By The Newsroom
Published 2nd Dec 2017, 17:30 BST
The BDG scheme will reopen at 2.00pm on Friday 1st December 2017.The BDG scheme will reopen at 2.00pm on Friday 1st December 2017.
The BDG scheme will reopen at 2.00pm on Friday 1st December 2017.

Business Development Groups brings together small groups of farmers to consider how knowledge, cooperation and investment can improve their farm businesses performance.

CAFRE director, Martin McKendry, has urged all eligible farmers to apply.

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He said: “CAFRE launched the Business Development Groups Scheme in November 2015 and to date, it has been a tremendous success. Feedback from farmers participating in the scheme has been extremely positive.

“Farmers particularly enjoy learning from each other at training events held on their own farms, using the specialist knowledge of their specialist facilitator to help them improve the efficiency of their businesses.

“The reopening of the scheme will allow those farmers, who have previously missed the opportunity to join a local BDG, to now submit an application.

“I would encourage farmers to apply to the scheme as local development groups are designed to assist farmers come together with other farmers, to learn about and enhance their knowledge of business management, new technologies and innovative ways of working.”

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Farmers who participate in the BDG scheme will be required to attend eight training events each year, be willing to undertake physical and financial benchmarking, share their farm performance information with other group members and be willing to host a visit for the group, during which members will discuss technical performance and progress towards improving their business.

As farmers work towards meeting their business objectives, they will have the opportunity to accredit their work and gain a Level 3 qualification.

To make an application to the Business Development Groups scheme and for further information visit: https://www.cafre.ac.uk/business-development-groups or call 028 9442 6790 or email: [email protected]

This call for applications will close on Thursday 21st December at 4.00pm.

Knowledge Transfer through Business Development Groups (BDG) is a scheme partly funded by 
the EU through the Rural Development Programme 2014 - 2020.