Thematic report: the added value generated by the integrated supply chain projects

The objective of the analysis is to understand whether the support given by the Swedish Rural Development Programme (RDP) through the ISCP formula is overall more effective than the sum of the corresponding individual interventions.

In particular, the evaluation assesses the results of implementing RDP Priority 2-related interventions (i.e. competitiveness).

The methodology involves the use of various methods, including the analysis of monitoring data and the quantification of specific result indicators.

The following factors of success were used:

1. ISCPs promoted new aggregations.
2. Participation in the 'BIP' facilitated the admission of member companies to financing.
3. Participation in the BIP stimulated the submission of larger financial projects.
4. Joining the BIP shortened the investigation time for the projects of the participating companies.
5. BIPs are an important part of the regional agro-industrial system.
6. Integrated projects promote the development of the related supply chains.
7. Integrated projects promote the development of the companies participating in them.

The higher support intensity of the ISCPs call does not seem to have incentivised farms to submit projects of a larger financial size under M4.1 compared to the individual call, contrary to what was found for M4.2.

The admission rate of the BIP call is 39%, while in individual calls it reaches an average of 64%. In contrast, the rejection rate is almost twice the average for individual calls (16.8 vs. 8.7%).

The average number of days from the opening until the end of the application selection is higher in the ISCPs calls, amounting to around 280 days for secondary applications (4.1), compared to 123 days in Call 4.1 of 2016 and 198 days in the ‘Youth package’. For the 4.2 ISCPs, 232 days are counted on average, while 36 days are counted per individual call.