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: variable payment rates depending on the action.
The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI)scheme pays farmers and land managers to take up or maintain sustainable farming and land management practices that:
- protect and benefit the environment
- support food production
- improve productivity
These practices are referred to as SFI actions.
If you and your land are eligible, you can apply for up to 102 SFI actions in the expanded SFI offer for 2024.
SFI agreements usually last for 3 or 5 years, depending on which SFI actions you select.
Read the SFI scheme information to apply for an SFI agreement and use the Find funding for land or farms tool to search for actions you and your land are eligible to apply for.
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.
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.
Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare grant (round 1)
Open: 26 June 2024.
Grant value: between 5,000 and 500,000.
Closing date: Eligibility checker closes 18 September 2024.
Egg production farmers can apply for a grant to add a veranda onto, or upgrade or replace existing laying hen or pullet housing to improve animal health and welfare.
Read theLaying Hen Housing for Health and Welfareguidance to find out about how to apply.
Improve water quality and air quality
CS offers
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