info@akcagric.co.uk | 01380 724 687
Available grants in 2023
Available grants in 2023
Post date
March 2023
2023 Grants
Below is a brief summary of each of the grants available in 2023, which in total is providing £168 million of available funding.
If you require assistance with the following grants and competitions, feel free to contact us on 01380 724687 or email us at info@akcagric.co.uk.
Grants to Support Farming in Protected Landscapes:
Offered through the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme, grants are available to farmers located within Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, National Parks, and the Broads.
These grants are available to support nature recovery, reduce impact of climate change, create increased opportunities for the general public to enjoy the landscape and heritage, and protection of the quality and character of the landscape or place.
Up to 100% of the costs of the project can be funded for, as long as there is no commercial gain from it. Commercial projects will be funded partially and the amount will depend on how much your business will benefit.
Applications open until March 2025.
Grants Available through Countryside Stewardship (CS)
Capital grants are available to improve boundaries, water quality, air quality, trees and orchards and natural flood management. To learn more about these grants, click here.
Higher Tier CS Capital grants are available to improve environmentally significant sites and woodlands and can be applied for at any time of year. For more information, click here.
Grants to improve woodland infrastructure and protection from beaver activity.
Protection and Infrastructure capital grants are available for improving woodland management by improving road access so timber and other forest products can be moved more easily. And to protect permanent crops and trees from beaver activity in eligible catchments. This can be applied to, at any time of year, click here for more information.
The CS Woodland Management Plan grant 2023 offers a one-off payment to create a 10-year Woodland Management Plan that complies with the UK Forestry Standard. Before you can apply for ongoing payments to deliver your plan under CS Higher Tier, you must be approved by the Forestry Commission.
This one-off payment can be applied at any time of the year. For more information, click here.
The CS Woodland Tree Health Grant offers a one-off payment to support:
- The restocking of woodland after felling due to a tree health issue
- Removing trees and rhododendron which are infected with specific diseases
These one-off payments can be applied for, at any time of year. For more information, click here.
Grants for Equipment to Support Productivity and Slurry Management
As part of the Farming Investment Fund, the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund is available to help improve agricultural sustainability and productivity in horticulture and forestry. DEFRA have compiled a list of items to help farmers use less inputs, reduce emissions and cut waste.
This grant applies to farmers, horticulturalists, forestry owners and contractors and applicants can receive payments between £1,000 to £25,000.
Application for this grant is open until until 4th April 2023. For more information, click here.
The Annual Health and Welfare Review
As part of the Annual Health and Welfare Review, farmers who are eligible for the Basic Payment Scheme, can register for a fully funded vet visit from a chosen vet/ team of vets. Rates vary between the animal type and the visit focusses on looking at your specific health and welfare priorities of your animals.
To apply, you must have either:
- 11 or more beef cattle
- 11 or more dairy cattle
- 21 or more sheep
- 51 or more pigs
To register your interest, click here .
Grants to Support Animal Health and Welfare
Several grants will be available under the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway, whereby farmers will be supported with funding for investments in equipment, technology and transformational infrastructure projects.
Grants will be available for equipment and technology that help improve health and welfare of livestock.
DEFRA has compiled a list of items for you to choose from and can provide between £1,000 to £25,000 of funding.
Expected to open in March 2023. Competitive application process - if accepted work to be completed and claimed by January 2024.
For guidance, click here.
Grants to Support Cattle Housing
Under the Farming Transformation Fund, grants will be available for infrastructure to improve cattle health, welfare and productivity.
The new offer is available to initially improve social contact and ambient environments of calf housing, with a goal to produce healthy calves that will be more resilient and productive during adulthood. This funding will be available in Summer 2023 and aims to expand in the future to include funding for adult cattle.
Grants for Infrastructure Projects
Later in the year, there will be grants available through the Farming Transformation Fund, where other livestock sectors will be supported to help improve infrastructure - predominantly focusing on pig and poultry farmers.
Grants to Support Slurry Infrastructure
Designed to help farmers improve or expand their slurry storage capacity, and includes slurry storage cover. The first round of the grant closed in January, however another round will open later this year.
To read more on the slurry infrastructure grant, click here
Grants to Support Water Management
To support the construction of on-farm reservoirs and best practice irrigation application, the water management grant will provide a list of capital items to help improve farm productivity whilst delivering environmental benefits.
These grants will be available in spring 2023 and are offered through the Farming Investment Fund.
Grants to Support Tree Health
To support tree health and address tree diseases in England, the future pilot Tree Health Scheme, offers grants for:
- Larch trees with phytophthora ramorum
- Spruce trees affected by Ips typographus
- Sweet chestnut trees with Phytophthora ramorum or sweet chestnut blight
- Oak trees with oak processionary moth
- Ash trees with ash dieback
To apply, your trees/woodland must be within the North-west, West Midlands, South East or London region. This scheme works in conjunction with the forestry commission, who will help identify tree pests and diseases.
Amounts paid vary between grants and will run until the end of 2024. For guidance on the pilot scheme, click here.
Grants to work on Long Term Farming Innovation
The fourth round of the Farming Futures Research & Development competition will be launched in May.
This competition offers participants the opportunity to share £12.5 million in funding for projects involved with solving long term social challenges.
Grants for Research and Development, to Develop a New Technology or Service
The third round of the small research & development competition opens in August, and offers funding for projects which involve industrial research for developing new solutions that address major on-farm or immediate post farmgate challenges or opportunities.
The project must demonstrate how the project will benefit farmers, growers or foresters in England and cost between £1 million and £3 million.
To find out more, click here.
Grants for research and development to check if an innovative idea works in practice
As part of the Farming Innovation Programme, the third round of the Feasibility Studies competition will be launched in September.
People with researched ideas which could help improve farming, are able to apply for funding to check the idea will work in practice.
To lead on a ‘Feasibility Studies’ project, the business needs to be registered in the UK.
Total project costs should be between £200,000 and £500,000, and the amount of funding you can claim depends on your business size.
To learn more, click here.
Grants to run on-farm trials assessing the viability of new technology, processes, and practices
Grant funding to support farmers, growers and foresters to lead and deliver smaller scale, on-farm trials to test potential solutions which will help improve productivity and sustainability. Research institutes, other producers or businesses and other organisations can be part of the project team as collaborators.
Funding is available for those with an idea and require testing to establish if the idea works in practice over years.
The grant will be available in Autumn 2023 and the first round will provide participants the opportunity to share a £1 million fund.
Grants for Research and Development to Develop a New Technology or Service
Under the Large Research and Development competition, there is funding available for Industrial Research and Experimental Development projects
For projects which vary from accelerating the development and demonstration of new agricultural solutions, to those that can be integrated into existing agricultural practices.
Projects should help address major challenges and opportunities in one of the following industries: livestock, plants, novel food production systems and bio economy and agroforestry.
Aiming to help improve productivity, sustainability/ environmental impact, progress towards net zero targets and resilience.
Successful participants will receive funding of between £3 million to £5 million.
The competition closes on 19th April 2023. For more information, click here.
