Agro Processing Support Scheme (APSS)

APSS

Helps research teams and institutions for APSS in agriculture innovation, food technology, and manufacturing.

The Agro Processing Support Scheme (APSS) is a grant programme administered by South Africa's Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) to stimulate investment in agro-processing and beneficiation enterprises. The scheme awards cost-sharing grants covering 20–30% of qualifying project costs, with a cap of R20 million ZAR spread over a two-year period. An additional 10% bonus grant is available for projects that demonstrate strong economic-benefit outcomes across four criteria: job creation, transformation, geographic development, and local procurement. The combination means the effective maximum grant rate is 40% for high-performing projects, subject to the R20 million ceiling.

APSS operates on a rolling submission basis and requires pre-investment applications only — all qualifying expenditure must be incurred after official approval. Existing companies must submit audited financial statements dated within 18 months of the application. Applicants must not have reduced total employment in the 12 months preceding submission. Applications must include a full business plan with agro-processing focus, a detailed project budget, and three-year financial forecasts.

Claims against approved milestones must be submitted within six months of the final approved milestone; missing this window forfeits reimbursement of outstanding costs. Applications are submitted to APSSapplications@thedtic.gov.za, and a separate claims address (apssclaims@thedtic.gov.za) handles post-approval reimbursement requests. The scheme targets capacity expansion, equipment modernisation, job creation, and productivity improvements in South African agro-processing and food-beneficiation enterprises.