In March, we took another step forward on the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway by launching the first round of the Animal Health and Welfare Equipment and Technology grant.
Grants ranging from £1,000 to £25,000 were offered towards the cost of items on a list. These items were chosen for their ability to improve the health and welfare of livestock and support our priorities.
The first round received a high level of interest from a range of sectors. As we evaluate how things went and look to the next round of the grant, we'd like you to share your thoughts.
In this post, we'll explain how.
Get involved
If you're a farmer, supplier, industry consultant or manufacturer, we want to hear from you.
We seek your feedback on 2 aspects of the grant:
- The specifications for items on the list
- The sectors eligible for the items
Please share your views through the survey
It will remain open until 7 August.
Reviewing specifications
Each specification sets out the minimum criteria an item must satisfy to be eligible for funding. For example, it might list the minimum capacity for a water tank or the material of the tank.
A clear specification is important because it ensures applicants understand exactly which pieces of equipment or technology are eligible for support.
It also helps us to ensure that grants are targeted at high-quality items that deliver health and welfare benefits.
For example, farrowing arks for pigs that are fully insulated with extra ventilation better protect a sow and her piglets from extreme temperatures.
The current specifications are included in the list of items that were eligible for the first round.
If you think an aspect of the specifications should be changed, please let us know through the survey.
Sector eligibility
At the moment, our list of items includes some equipment that is available to all sectors and some which were only available to a specified sector.
It may be that some of these items could be useful to farmers from other sectors.
As part of the survey, you can suggest changes to which sectors are eligible for items already on the list.
Carrying out regular evaluations of our grants helps us ensure they work well, so please share your views. If you have any questions about the survey, leave a comment below.
8 comments
Comment by James Siggs posted on
The fenceless/GPS controlled cattle and sheep grazing system plus the annual subscription would be very helpful in many situations, such as SSSI/Commons so that grazing can be controlled and produce more public goods for public money.
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hi James,
Thanks for sharing your views. I've shared your comment with the team responsible for this grant.
Best wishes,
Sarah
Comment by Tom posted on
I am consulting for a company that makes a novel roofing sheet that we have shown reduces temperatures in cattle sheds which reduces the welfare insult of heat stress. The product is generating interest within the industry. How do we work towards getting such a product listing as eligible for funding in future round.
Comment by The Team posted on
Hi Tom,
Send an email to fetfenquiries@rpa.gov.uk
Best wishes,
The Team
Comment by matthew davies posted on
the £25k limit needs to be lifted to £75k
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hi Matthew,
Thanks for visiting the blog and for your comment. I've passed this on to the team.
Best wishes,
Sarah
Comment by Robert posted on
Is this grant available in Northern Ireland?
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hi Robert,
The grants listed in this post (and others we write about on this site) are only available to those who farm, grow or manage land in England.
After leaving the EU, agriculture became devolved. The grants offered by DAERA in Northern Ireland can be found here: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/grants-and-funding/farming-grants
Best wishes,
Sarah