Rural Payments Wales (RPW): service update and Rural Development Programme supported projects: November 2022

The changes detailed below supersede any guidance previously issued.

Important Change: For project items over £500 and under £5,000 entered on the Expenditure Register there is a change in process for approval.

• Submit a Competitive Tendering record for expenditure approval
• No supporting documentation to be submitted

There is no change for items over £5,000, please continue to use the Competitive Tendering Record for items over £5,000.  You will still need to provide supporting documents for these items.

The Competitive Tendering Records can be found at the following link: Rural Development Programme 2014 to 2020: competitive tendering and public procurement record templates | GOV.WALES.

With less than 8 months remaining to deliver your agreed project objectives and submit your final claim, and following the introduction of the new procedures for approval of project expenditure, you will no longer be required to submit a project change request in the following circumstances:

• To move approved project expenditure between expenditure headings. Instead, an explanation must be provided with your claim if expenditure exceeds 15% of an approved cost heading (this will be prompted by WEFO online)
• To decrease project costs/grant – this will be reviewed at the in-situ visit
• To notify of changes to indicators – these will be reviewed and verified at the in-situ visit and project closure

• Move approved project expenditure between capital and revenue cost headings
• Move expenditure between financial years
• Extend the project end date
• Make changes to your Simplified Costs.
• Change the organisation delivering the project

You no longer need to submit a Delivery Profile (DPv2) with your re-evaluation.  The RDP Unit will update the delivery profile on WEFO online to reflect any changes approved.

The deadline for all requests for changes to approved projects (re-evaluations) is 31^st January 2023.  No re-evaluations will be accepted after this date.

To request a Project change the following process must be followed:

Step 1 - complete a Project Change Request through your RPW Online account to outline the changes you would like to make

Step 2 - once your request is processed, you will be notified to complete an online Project Change Re-evaluation in RPW Online if required.

The guide to requesting changes to approved projects can be found at the following link https://gov.wales/rural-development-programme-2014-2020-guidance-requesting-changes-approved-projects

Our RPW Customer Contact Centre are on hand to help and assist with your project enquiries. The Customer Contact Centre is operating as follows:

Where possible, routine project enquiries should be submitted via your RPW online account which is available 24 hours a day.

Christmas period:

The Customer Contact Centre will not be accepting telephone calls between 26 December to 2 January 2023. However, you can continue to submit enquiries via your RPW online accounts during this period and we will respond as quickly as possible.