The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund 2024 is now OPEN to applications.
Applicants could receive 50-60% of the total cost of the investment they make up to a maximum grant of £50,000 for Improving Productivity and Managing Slurry, and up to £25,000 for Improving Animal Welfare
| Purpose | Three separate grants are available to those considering investment in equipment or technology which will help them to improve productivity, improve animal welfare, and manage slurry. All three can be applied for separately, although FETF is competitive, and you may not receive all or any of the funding you apply for |
| Criteria | Your business must be based in England You must be a farming beef cattle, dairy cattle, pigs, sheep, laying chickens or broiler chickens You must not have chosen to leave farming through the Lump Sum Exit Scheme. However, if you have left through the LSES, but you are now a farm contractor, you can still apply |
| Items you can apply for | You can apply for items from the productivity, slurry and animal health and welfare items and specifications lists: Click here for the Productivity Items List Click here for the Slurry Items List Click here for the Animal Health and Welfare Items List All items must be new items and must meet the relevant specifications in each list. You can buy an item with a higher specification, but you cannot buy items that do not meet the minimum specification. If the piece of equipment meets 2 or more of the fund specifications, you can only apply for funding for one item. For example, if you want to buy a yield monitoring device, which also has variable rate control functionality, you could apply for either a yield monitoring or variable rate controller item, not both. *If you’re applying for an Animal Health and Welfare grant, you can increase your application score by providing evidence that you’ve discussed your application with a vet. |
| Items you cannot apply for | Items that are bought using part exchange Second hand or ex-demonstration items Items that are bought on hire purchase or on lease Items you’ve already bought Items you’ve already received or intend to receive through a different scheme, for example the Farming Transformation Fund (FTF), Countryside Stewardship (CS), and the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme Home built items Replacement items covered by an insurance claim |
| Funding levels | The RPA will pay you a grant amount of 50% or 60% towards either: – the average cost of the item (if an item costs you the same or more than the expected average cost in the item lists) – the actual cost you pay for the item (if an item costs you less than the expected average cost in the item lists) The RPA has calculated an expected average cost for each item, based on costs from a cross-section of suppliers. If successful, you will receive: – a minimum of £1,000 and a maximum of £50,000 towards productivity items – a minimum of £1,000 and a maximum of £50,000 towards slurry items – a minimum of £1,000 and a maximum of £25,000 towards animal health and welfare items You will need to provide supporting information or documents if applying for a grant of more than £25,000 |
| How to apply | 1. Check the specification of the items you want to apply for in the 2024 items and specifications lists 2. Check the availability of the items you want to apply for with your supplier. 3. Do not order or buy anything at this stage, unless you are paying with a refundable deposit. 4. Register with the Rural Payments service. 5. Check your business details in the Rural Payments service are correct and read the FETF 2024 terms and conditions. 6. Register and login to the Farming Investment Fund service to submit your application by the application deadlines (this is separate to the Rural Payments service and requires you to complete a new registration). If you want to apply for more than one grant, you’ll need to submit separate applications. Your application should take around 20 minutes to complete. 7. You’ll receive an acknowledgement email within 24 hours of applying – you may need to check your junk folder for emails about your application. Your application will be checked for eligibility and scored by the RPA. 8. If your application is unsuccessful, the RPA will write to you to tell you why. If your application is successful, the RPA will send you a GFA. GFAs for each grant will be sent separately. 9. Use the Farming Investment Fund service to accept your GFA by the deadline set out in your GFA email. You’ll need to select each grant to accept each GFA. It’s important that you read and understand the steps you’ll need to follow to claim your FETF 2024 grant payment. |
| Application window | You can apply between 6 March and 17 April 2024 for productivity and slurry items. This application window will close at midday on 17 April 2024. You can apply between 20 March and 1 May 2024 for animal health and welfare items. This application window will close at midday on 1 May 2024. |