The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has recently opened the window for applications to the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2024, which includes three different grants designed to improve productivity, manage slurry, and improve animal health and welfare on farms.
Farmers can apply for more than one grant and are advised that once again the FETF is set out on a competitive basis, where there is no guarantee that applicants will be accepted, or that they will receive all the grant they have applied for.
The three grants comprise:
- Productivity items – a minimum grant of £1,000 and up to £50,000
- Slurry items – a minimum grant of £1,000 and up to £50,000
- Animal Health and Welfare items – a minimum of £1,000 and up to £25,000
In all cases, successful applicants will be awarded 50-60% of the cost of the item, as agreed in RPA’s specification lists, published on the DEFRA website. Successful applicants must make up the remainder of the cost themselves.
To be eligible, you must be a farmer/horticulturalist/forestry owner, or a contractor carrying out services to a farmer/horticulturalist/forestry owner, and have a business based and registered in England. The FETF animal health and welfare grant is for farmers of beef or dairy cattle, sheep, pigs, laying chickens/broiler chickens.
The RPA will allocate funding after all applications within each grant application window have been received and scored. Funding for each of the three grants will be allocated starting with the highest scoring applications until it is fully allocated. Equipment should not be purchased until the grant is approved.
Tom Arthey says: “We know that the FETF has been beneficial for our clients in the past, helping them make those investments into equipment that will really boost their businesses and drive them forwards in productivity. It is good to see that once again farmers can apply for this round of grants even if they have been awarded FETF funding previously or have received a Countryside Productivity Scheme Grant.
“The full list of eligible items is available on the DEFRA website, but there is a strong emphasis once again, particularly under the productivity route, for supporting equipment and technology enhancements that can help to improve soil health and the environmental footprint of production. For example, direct drills and specific equipment for cover crop management are on the list, as are mechanical weed control technology. This all fits in with the direction of travel with the Sustainable Farming Incentive and a move away from chemical controls and traditional tillage systems. Retro-fitting of precision equipment also features heavily”.
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.
If you would like any support in making your application, the team here at Arthey Associates are well experienced in assisting clients through the process so please do get in touch.
It is expected that the application window for applying for animal health and welfare items will be announced shortly. Two further application windows for the FETF will be opened later in 2024.
Please get in touch with Tom Arthey or Tom Wilson on 01832 270269 or email tom@artheyassociates.co.uk.
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