The Future Farming Resilience Fund is designed to provide business support to farmers and land managers during the early years of the agricultural transition.
It does this by awarding grants to organisations who help farmers and land managers to:
- understand the changes that are happening
- identify how, what and when they may need to adapt their business models
- access tailored support to adapt.
Here is a list of every provider in England, grouped by county.
The contact details of providers are listed and you can get in touch directly.
Watch: videos from farmers
We asked 3 farmers who accessed business advice from the Future Farming Resilience Fund in the initial phase to tell us about their experience.
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16 comments
Comment by Liz Sellers posted on
Hi, how much has each contractor been paid please? how is their success being measured? I am really interested in how the funding they have won is accounted for and how the impact is going to be measured.
Thanks for more information- Liz
Comment by Andrew Powley posted on
Hi Liz,
Thanks for your interest, and apologies for the delay in replying. Success of the resilience scheme will be measured against the 6 outcomes that we are hoping to achieve, namely that farmers and land managers:
1. Are encouraged and enabled to become more resilient, competitive, innovative and productive.
2. Are facilitated to improve their farming business.
3. Are clear about what the reduction in Direct Payments will mean for their business.
4. Feel confident to make decisions, and do make decisions, about what to do with their business during the Agricultural Transition.
5. Feel supported and informed by government during the Agricultural Transition.
6. Get the mental health and wellbeing support they need.
An external, independent evaluator will be responsible for evaluating impact, process and value for money of the FFRF. Each provider will return an interim and final evaluation report, along with collecting a prescribed set of metrics, which will help understand intervention effectiveness, and contribute to establishing lessons learned, recommendations and key findings.
Thanks again,
Andrew
Comment by Liz posted on
So what exactly is the criteria- how is the data gathered, what data is gathered to measure the 6 out come, where can I find it please. This is important as a farmer as my BPS money has been directed to these companies in a fashion and I do not see anything worth the money which has been directed their way as yet - please can I see how much each of the 19 companies has been awarded please or is this a FOI request ?
Comment by Andy Powley posted on
Hi Liz
Financial details about individual grant awards are not something we would publish on this blog. However, after the independent evaluation is complete, a report containing this information will be published – we're happy to share a copy of this with you as soon as it's available.
Funding for this scheme has been allocated as part of the Agriculture Transition Plan and we encourage people to take advantage of the support to help manage the transition and plan for the future.
Thank you for taking the time to comment. We want our schemes to work for farmers and are keen to listen to views. If you would be interested in being involved in our co-design work, please email ffcpcodesign@defra.gov.uk.
Best wishes,
Andy
Comment by Joe posted on
Hi Andy,
You mentionedback in 2021 that 'after the independent evaluation is complete, a report containing this information will be published'.
Wondering if that report is now available. If not, when is it scheduled to be published?
thanks,
Joe
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hi Joe,
Very timely question! As Andy's on leave this week, I checked with the team and it's actually being published this week. I'll share the link with you as soon as it's available.
Best wishes,
Sarah
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hi Joe,
Thanks for your patience. Here's the link to the report: https://sciencesearch.defra.gov.uk/ProjectDetails?ProjectId=20985
Best wishes,
Sarah
Comment by Elizabeth Medcalf posted on
My family owns and operates a small/medium abattoir in Yorkshire.
I was directed to the 'Future Farming Resilience fund' after reading comments from within EFRA's 'Moving animals across borders' report.
The report describes small and medium abattoirs as a strategic national asset and states that they should be supported and bolstered through the Future Farming Resilience Fund.
Also written - DEFRA should set out and enact its approach to funding the UK abattoir network as a strategic national asset within 6 months.
Please advise asap how we can access this 'support, bolstering and funding.'
Many thanks
Comment by Andy Powley posted on
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for your comment.
The Future Farming Resilience Fund (FFRF) is an initiative to provide business support to farmers and land managers in England to help them prepare for the Agricultural Transition. Any farmer in receipt of BPS is eligible to apply for the Interim Phase and can currently do so. The suggestions from the EFRA report will be considered by Government, but ultimately the FFRF isn’t positioned to provide direct financial support to small abattoirs.
Defra is currently looking at what future support can be made available to the sector. One such route may be via the Farming Investment Fund, where we are exploring what opportunities there are to support producers through the Farming Transformation Fund, for example, a new mobile abattoir operated by a producer or group of producers. The Farming Investment Fund will not however fund replacement of worn-out equipment or any investment needed to meet regulatory requirements. Further information on the themes and their sequencing will be available following launch of the Fund, expected this month.
Best wishes
Andy Powley
Comment by Caroline Williams posted on
Hi Andy,
I'd like to get some help planning for mental health in my farm business. None of the organisations above seems to offer that. Can I find my own consultant and get funding for them? Or if not can the consultant join one of the organisations above to link to the funding? Mental health is one of the key objectives but it doesn't seem to feature.
Thanks
Comment by The Team posted on
Hi Caroline,
Most of the providers only provide business advice - and signposting any mental health and wellbeing support. However ADAS and Kite Consulting are providing support around mental health and wellbeing alongside the wider business resilience advice – so they are worth approaching – the contact details are listed in the post above. Both organisations operate throughout England.
Best wishes,
The Team
Comment by Janet Lee posted on
Who thinks up these schemes? seems to me it is money again going outside agriculture and not much help for working farmers.
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hi Janet,
Thanks for visiting our blog.
Our team (the Future Farming and Countryside Programme) work with farmers and land managers to create a range of offers to suit all farm types.
Because the changes to farming are significant and there are quite a few new schemes, it's our responsibility to ensure that farmers are equipped with the information and support they need to understand their options and to plan for the future.
Alongside our engagement activity (going to events, meeting people on-farm and sharing what we're doing on the blog - this isn't an exhaustive list!) we created the Future Farming Resilience Fund.
Through the fund, government pays agricultural organisations known and trusted in the farming community to give tailored support to farmers. The advisers explain changes that are happening identify how, what and when farmers may need to adapt their business models and access tailored support to help them do so. So, in a very practical sense, this does help working farmers. Around 6,600 farmers have already accessed this support.
Everything we’re offering contributes to our 3 goals: supporting viable businesses, maintaining food production at its current level, and achieving animal health, welfare and climate outcomes.
I hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Sarah
Comment by Tim Bowden posted on
Hello.
I represent an established farm business consultancy firm covering the West of England and Wales. We have an increasing number of people approaching us about accessing the funding and we would like to know how to register to become a provider. Can you help with this please?
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hi Tim,
Thanks for getting in touch. Contracts have already been awarded to advice providers for the final round of the Future Farming Resilience Fund. We know that some providers have chosen to subcontract, so this could be an avenue to explore with those in your area. The list is available on GOV.UK https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/get-free-business-advice-for-your-farm/organisations-giving-free-advice-in-your-area-listed-by-county
The Future Farming and Countryside Programme deals only with the changes to farming in England, as agriculture is a devolved policy area. So anything you see on this blog and the links we include relate only to England. Do visit https://www.gov.wales/farming-countryside for the changes taking place in Wales.
Best wishes,
Sarah
Comment by Tim Bowden posted on
Many thanks. most helpful.