Forestry Commission
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This page tells you about grants and other funding currently open or opening soon.
You may be able to apply for one or more of the available grants and funding schemes if you or your land are eligible. The guidance for each scheme will explain where this is possible.
Manage your land to benefit the environment
Apply through an environmental land management (ELM) scheme to farm productively and in a way that benefits the environment. There are 3 ELM schemes.
1. Sustainable Farming Incentive
Grant value: between 10 and 732 per hectare, depending on the action.
Closing date: to be confirmed.
If you were eligible for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in 2022 or 2023, youll be able to apply for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).
SFI is a 3-year agreement made up of a choice of environmental land management actions you need to complete to receive payment. These actions will help you manage your land in a more sustainable way. The number of actions will expand each year until the full range is available by 2024.
If you are eligible, you can apply for up to 23 actions for:
- soil health
- moorland assessment
- hedgerows
- integrated pest management
- nutrient management
- farmland wildlife on arable and horticultural land
- farmland wildlife on improved grassland
- buffer strips
- low input grassland
Read the guidance for SFI 2023 to apply or use the SFI actions filter toolto check what actions you can get paid to do on your land.
2. Countryside Stewardship (CS)
Grant value: amounts vary depending on your CS agreement.
Closing date: some grants are open all year, others are time-limited - read the CS guidance for details.
You can apply for Countryside Stewardship to get paid to:
- increase biodiversity
- improve habitat
- expand woodland areas
- improve water quality
- improve air quality
- improve natural flood management
Use the CS grant finder to see whats available to achieve these environmental outcomes.
3. Landscape Recovery
Closing date: the scheme is now closed.
Landscape Recovery pays groups of farmers and land managers to do long-term, large-scale projects together. Land must be in England and consist of at least 500 connected hectares.
The Landscape Recovery scheme supports:
- net zero carbon emissions
- protected sites
- wildlife-rich habitat
Invest in equipment, technology and infrastructure to increase productivity
You can apply for grants through the Farming Investment Fund (FIF) to invest in new technology, equipment and infrastructure.
Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF)
The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) has 3 grants to help you buy items to:
- improve productivity
- manage slurry
- improve animal health and welfare
Open: 6 March 2024 for productivity and slurry grants and 20 March 2024 for animal health and welfare grant.
Grant value: up to50,000 towards productivity and slurry items and up to 25,000 towards animal health and welfare items.
Closing date: midday on 17 April 2024 for productivity and slurry grants and midday on 1 May 2024 for animal health and welfare grant.
Water Management grant (round 2)
Grant value: between 35,000 and 500,000.
Closing date: eligibility checker now closed.
Guidance for round 2 applicants. If youve been invited to make a full application, you have until 11:59pm on 31 October 2024 to submit your documents.
Guidance for round 1 applicants. Round 1 of the Water Management grant is closed.
Slurry Infrastructure grant (round 2)
Grant value: between 25,000 and 250,000.
Closing date: eligibility checker now closed.
Guidance for round 2 applicants. If youve been invited to make a full application, you have until 11:59pm on 30 September 2024 to submit your slurry store location and design assessment form.
Guidance for round 1 applicants. If youve been invited to make a full application, you have until 11:59pm on 28 June 2024 to submit your documents.
Adding Value grant
Grant value: between 25,000 and 300,000.
Closing date: now closed.
The Adding Value grant is closed.
Calf Housing for Health and Welfare grant
Grant value: between 15,000 and 500,000.
Closed: eligibility checker now closed.
Read the Calf Housing for Health and Welfare grant guidance to find out about the next stage of the application process. If youve been invited to submit an Ambient Environment Location and Design (AELD) form, you have until 11:59pm on 30 April 2024 to submit this.
Improving Farm Productivity grant (round 2)
Grant value: between 25,000 and 500,000 for robotic or automatic equipment.
between 15,000 and 100,000 for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.
Closing date: eligibility checker now closed.
Read the Improving Farm Productivity Round 2 grant guidance to find out about the next stage of the application process.
Round 1 of the Improving Farm Productivity grant is closed.
Improve water quality and air quality
You can apply for grants to improve water and air quality through CS. Check the CS grant finder for water quality options and air quality options. You can choose grants suitable for your land and apply to the relevant CS grant scheme.
Grant value: amounts vary depending on your CS agreement.
Closing date: some grants are open all year, others are time-limited - read the CS guidance for details.
Reduce flood risk
You can apply for grants to reduce flood risk through