Rural Payments Wales (RPW): service update regarding RPW online based Rural Development Programme (RDP) projects: important changes

The changes detailed below supersede any guidance previously issued to beneficiaries.

Important Changes:

• For project items under £500, you can claim without submitting a Competitive Tendering Record. A value has been allocated in the contract for each expenditure category to allow for claims to be submitted. Details on how to claim an item under £500 can be found at the following link: Rural grants and payments claim form: using RPW online to apply
• For project items over £500 and under £5,000 entered on the Expenditure Register there is a change in process for approval. You must:
  • Continue to submit a Competitive Tendering Record for expenditure approval
  • However, no supporting documentation to be submitted

The is no change for expenditure items over £5,000. Please continue to use the Competitive Tendering Record for all items over £5,000 and continue to provide and submit the supporting documents for these items.

Please include the Map ID from the contract on your Competitive Tendering Record in the ‘Item Reference’ line.

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

Contract Updates

A new version of the contract will be issued if a change is made to the contract details, this includes updates following Competitive Tendering Record approval. You will be notified a new contract is available to view on your RPW Online account.

Certain contract changes may require you to accept the new version via the Blue Button on your online account. The Blue Button will only appear if you are required to accept the revised contract. A list of the types of contract changes and whether they require contract acceptance, or not, are listed below:

Changes that do not require contract acceptance

• Entering a new Delivery Profile
• Changes to an Item value
• Sub Items added following Competitive Tendering approval
• Removal or any changes to Sub Items
• Changes to Simplified Costs
• VAT eligibility changes

Changes that do require contract acceptance which would be the result of a re-evaluation approval

• Adding or removing an Item
• Changes to the total contract value
• Changes to Special Conditions
• Changes to the existing Delivery Profile
• Changes to the Indicators
• Changes to the Project Partners
• Changes to the contract expiry date
• Text changes to the contract or Items
• New version of the contract requested

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 RPW 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

A project change request is still required if you want to:

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

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. Enter the number  ‘10000’ in the ‘case id’ field for RPW Online Projects.
• Step 2 - once your request is processed, you will be notified to complete an online Project Change Re-evaluation in RPW Online if required. Again, enter ‘10000’ in the ‘case id’ field for RPW Online Projects.

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

All enquiries and documentary evidence should be directed and submitted to: 

• the RPW Customer Contact Centre, or 
• your secure RPW online account

If you are unable to access your RPW online account please contact the RPW Customer Contact Centre immediately.

If you have unpaid invoices at 31 March 2021 you cannot include these in your March or final claim. This evidence must be submitted via your RPW Online account by 5 April so the grant funding for your project can be accrued.

Our RPW Customer Contact Centre operators continue to work from home. This may affect the speed of response to some enquiries. 

The Customer Contact Centre telephone service is operating as follows:

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

Christmas opening times are as follows:

The Customer Contact Centre will not be accepting telephone calls between 26 December to 2 January. Customers can continue to refer queries via their RPW online accounts during this period and queries will be responded to as quickly as possible.