Rural Development Programme 2014 to 2020: new process for approval of project expenditure

This additional information guidance focuses on how your project is expected to use the new Delivery Profile and Expenditure Register (DPv2), from November 2021 onwards.

As your project delivery continues, you will need to update Rural Payments Wales (RPW) with your completed competitive tendering records or request project changes. 

You will not be able to make a claim for items until the competitive tendering for those items has been approved by RPW.

Following your feedback, we have reviewed the Competitive Tendering Record (see below for details).

When you have completed a tendering process for items not yet approved by RPW, for instance marked as TBC on the expenditure register, you must inform us via WEFO Online as follows:

1. Where no other changes are required, submit a completed Competitive Tendering Record detailing the item reference in the register and the supporting evidence i.e. quotes, adverts, etc. You will also need to complete the DPv2 if you have not already done so.
2. Where other small changes are required i.e. changing values within 15% of approved costs, submit an updated DPv2 accompanied by the Competitive Tendering Record detailing the item reference in the register and the supporting evidence i.e. quotes, adverts, etc.
3. Where significant changes are required, such as changing values between cost headings by more than 15% or project extensions etc. you will need to:
   
   a. Request a re-evaluation by following the Guidance on requesting changes to approved projects and
   
   b. When we ask you to, submit an updated DPv2 accompanied by the Competitive Tendering Record detailing the item reference in the register and the supporting evidence i.e. quotes, adverts, etc.

Instructions for the uploading of documents are available from your WEFO Online account under the How to use WEFO Online link; please use the Case Documents option.

On receipt of this information, RPW will verify and update your DPv2 with the outcome and return via RPW Online.

We aim to complete these checks within 7 working days of a complete and compliant submission. 

Please note that where re-evaluations are also required, check will take longer than 7 working days.

Competitive Tendering Record templates

We have simplified the template depending on item value:

1. For items over £5,000 you still need to complete a Competitive Tendering Record for each item over £5,000

2. For items over £500 and under £5,000 you can complete the new Competitive Tendering Record for items over £500 and under £5,000

When we have completed our checks, we will confirm this via your RPW account and attach the updated DPv2 with the following outcomes:

1. Approved: the evidence met the requirements and you are able to claim when you have defrayed the expenditure.
2. Approved with a penalty: the evidence did not fully meet the requirements but is approved with a penalty. When you claim, we will apply the penalty to the claimed amount, in effect reducing the maximum payable grant for the project. RPW will explain the reason for the penalty in the Outcome Letter Annex A and the penalty value cannot be re-allocated and used on other eligible items or activities in the project.
3. Capped at lowest quote: the evidence for the preferred quote did not meet the requirements and RPW have capped the approved (item cost) at the lowest quote provided. The difference in value between the preferred quote and the approved quote will still be available to the project for use on other eligible items or activities.
4. Not approved: this means the evidence did not meet the requirements and RPW deem this item ineligible, as detailed in the Outcome Letter Annex A under the reason; you must not claim for this item.

You can see an example of the above scenarios in the delivery profile example.

1. Simplified staff costs – these costs are approved at grant award. Any amendment requests for these costs should be submitted via re-evaluation on RPW online.

2. Miscellaneous items under £500, you must still enter the items on the expenditure register and will need to confirm at claim stage why the item is a required eligible project cost.

Where the final cost for items previously approved by RPW are greater than the approved value, you will need to provide an explanation for the difference when you submit the claim for that item.

For increases greater than 15% of the item value, RPW expect the explanation to be comprehensive, with supporting evidence where appropriate. Please note that:

1) Payments in excess of the approved value are not guaranteed and,

2) The total grant payable for the project cannot exceed the approved costs.

Version 4 - July 2022