In a few weeks’ time, there will be an opportunity to apply for Round 2 of the Improving Farm Productivity grant. The grant is part of the Farming Investment Fund and pays towards capital items including robotic, automatic and solar equipment that improve farm and horticulture productivity. The application process splits the grant into two […]
Posted on December 20th, 2023 by Ellen Cottrell
The Rural Payments Agency have released details of a new Calf Housing Grant, with Stage 1, the online checker now available. The grant is offering up to 40 % of all eligible costs to build, upgrade or replace calf housing buildings. The aim of the grant is to improve calf welfare by providing housing with […]
Posted on September 12th, 2023 by Julie Newton
Mark Spencer, DEFRA Farming Minister has recently (5th January 2023) announced Countryside Stewardship (CS) payments are to rise by an average of 10%. Capital payments will rise by an average of 48%. This is alongside other announcements which aim to make entering and administrating the scheme simpler and fairer. Feedback from farmers has led to […]
Posted on January 9th, 2023 by Ellen Cottrell
As of Tuesday 9th February the Countryside Stewardship application window has now re-opened. The individual options available for Stewardship are largely the same as before but there are some key changes to be aware of: Greening has been removed so existing greening features such as buffer strips can be used in a Countryside Stewardship application. […]
Posted on February 9th, 2021 by Ellen Cottrell
The long awaited third round of the Countryside Productivity Small Grant Scheme is now open offering grant funding of between £3,000 – £12,000 for farmers purchasing equipment to improve productivity and efficiency. The grant scheme provides a list of eligible items and assigns each eligible item a ‘standard cost’. The grant paid is then based […]
Posted on October 7th, 2020 by Ellen Cottrell
Wildlife Offer Countryside Stewardship agreements provide a simplified scheme option for farmers with a set list of options under each Wildlife Offer type and provided the minimum requirements are met then an agreement will be offered. The aim of Wildlife Offer’s is as the name suggests, to support wildlife by providing sources of nectar and […]
Posted on June 9th, 2020 by Ellen Cottrell Mid-Tier Countryside Stewardship is very similar to the old style ELS schemes. It is designed to provide environmental benefits at an on-farm level with a range of options that can suit most farming systems. What do Mid-Tier Stewardship schemes fund? Grant funding is available for land management practices which protect and enhance the natural environment, […]
Posted on June 8th, 2020 by Ellen Cottrell
With the upcoming changes to the subsidy regime, now is likely to be a good time for many farmers to consider entering into a Countryside Stewardship agreement. From 2021, Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments will be starting to be phased out through to a complete phasing out by 2028 making this year the last […]
Posted on May 20th, 2020 by Ellen Cottrell
Earlier this month the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) launched three new grants available to farmers under the RDPE Growth Programme. The grants are designed to provide funding for projects in rural areas which create jobs and growth in the rural economy. What grants are available? The RDPE Growth Programme provides grant funding for […]
Posted on November 22nd, 2019 by Ellen Cottrell
The new Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) is about to be formally launched by Natural England (NE) with applications invited for the Mid and Higher Tiers between the 1st July and 30th September with agreements starting from 1st January 2016. The scheme boosts some 130 management options and 110 capital items to chose from many of which […]
Posted on June 23rd, 2015 by Mike Cluley