The Rural Investment Financing Agency (AFIR) announced the launch of the session for intervention DR-12, dedicated to the consolidation of young farmers' holdings. Submission begins on September 15, 2026, and the budget exceeds 169 million euros.
The launch announcement came on July 29, 2026, after the advisory guide had been published on March 18, 2026, and subjected to public consultation until March 30. The session budget is 169,589,647 euros, one of the largest allocations in the PAC 2023-2027 Strategic Plan (CAP Strategic Plan).
The maximum grant is 200,000 euros per project, with a maximum implementation period of three years. Support intensity is differentiated by age: 80% for young farmers under 40 and 65% for farmers up to 45 years old.
The 15 percentage point difference between the two categories is substantial. For a 200,000 euro project, a 38-year-old farmer must co-finance 20%, meaning 40,000 euros, while a 43-year-old must cover 35%, meaning 70,000 euros. It is a deliberate incentive for the rejuvenation of the agricultural sector.
Eligible applicants are newly installed young farmers and farmers up to 45 years old. The funding covers investments for holding consolidation: agricultural machinery, equipment, agricultural constructions.
The session opens on September 15, 2026. Together with DR-14, dedicated to small farms, which opens on September 1, September becomes the busiest month in the year's agricultural funding calendar. Farmers who qualify for both interventions must decide early on which one to target, as cumulation rules are restrictive.
The intensity difference between the two age categories has a consequence worth anticipating. A farmer approaching the 40-year threshold planning a major investment should evaluate whether submitting in the current session, at 80% intensity, is preferable to a delay, which would automatically lead to 65%. The difference can exceed the value of the entire prepared co-financing.
Cumulation rules between the PAC Strategic Plan interventions are a second element requiring attention. A farmer cannot simultaneously access all interventions for the same investment, and overlaps lead to rejection or fund recovery. Prior consultation with an AFIR specialist or a consultant experienced in the strategic plan is recommended before choosing the intervention.
Key Information
- Budget: 169,589,647 EUR
- Grant: maximum 200,000 EUR per project, maximum 3-year implementation
- Intensity: 80% for young farmers under 40, 65% for farmers up to 45
- Session: from September 15, 2026
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