Economic investment projects based on agriculture will be supported with grants of up to 10 million lira. The support will cover up to 50% of the total project cost. Priority will be given to producer organizations, women, and young entrepreneurs, but both individuals and legal entities will be eligible for grant support for investments in agricultural and rural economic infrastructure activities. According to the rural development support regulations published in today’s issue of the Official Gazette regarding the support for agricultural investments, the grant amounts for economic investment projects based on agriculture have been set with a lower limit of 8 million lira and an upper limit of 20 million lira for new expansion projects, 18 million lira for partially completed investments, and 16 million lira for capacity enhancement, technology renewal, or modernization initiatives. Projects below the lower limit will not be accepted. The upper limit for grant amounts related to rural economic infrastructure investments will be 8 million lira, while the lower limit will be 100,000 lira.

FIFTY PERCENT GRANT FOR PROJECTS
Within the scope of the regulations, grants amounting to fifty percent of the total project sum will be provided. Investors will be responsible for financing fifty percent of the project cost, as well as in-kind contributions and the full VAT amount from their own resources. Since the contribution towards the total grant sum is being provided through public funds, except for the VAT exemption and interest-like supports specified in this regulation, public funds cannot be used for the financing of the contribution required by the investors. Project applications can be made by real and legal entities, with only companies and agricultural organizational entities established before the final application date eligible to apply. Individuals excluded from the named real and legal entities and people serving in public roles such as civil servants, public workers, or faculty members of state universities will not be able to benefit from the grant support.

SUPPORTED AREAS FOR GRANTS
Under this framework, investments related to agricultural economic topics, such as processing, packaging, and storage of agricultural products, fixed investments for agricultural production, and investments directed towards the use of renewable energy sources will be considered for grant support, particularly for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises. Additionally, investments focused on aquaculture, cultivation in agricultural specialized industrial zones, processing, packaging, and storage of animal and plant-based fertilizers will also fall within the grant support. For micro and small-scale enterprises involved in rural economic infrastructure investments, support will be extended to infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing family business activities, beekeeping and bee products, information systems and education, craftsmanship and value-added products, sericulture, aquaculture, machinery for agricultural organizations, and investments related to medical and aromatic plant cultivation. The application period for support will be announced through a guidelines document to be published by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.