You will soon be able to apply for a grant through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF).
To help you prepare, we’ve published the FETF grant guidance on GOV.UK.
In this post, I’ll give an overview of the grants and include details of an upcoming webinar for you to learn more.
Grants to improve Productivity, Slurry management and Animal Health and Welfare
The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund provides grants for equipment and technology that support improvements in:
- productivity
- slurry management
- animal health and welfare.
You can apply for one grant from each of the 3 themes.
The fund is competitive. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will allocate funding after all applications within an application window have been received and scored. You may not receive any, or all of the funding you apply for.
Successful applicants will receive a grant of:
- a minimum of £1,000 and a maximum of £50,000 towards productivity items
- a minimum of £1,000 and a maximum of £50,000 towards slurry items
- a minimum of £1,000 and a maximum of £25,000 towards animal health and welfare items
We will pay a percentage of the cost depending on the item. For many items, this percentage is an increase on last year. This funding will go towards either:
- the average cost of the item – if an item costs you the same or more than the expected average cost on the item lists
- the actual cost you pay for the item – if an item costs you less than the expected average cost on the item list.
What’s new for 2024
New for 2024, the fund is now split into 3 separate grants: productivity, slurry and animal health and welfare equipment.
We have increased the maximum grant amounts for productivity and slurry, so you can now apply for up to £50,000 for each of these themes.
The maximum grant amount for animal health and welfare remains at £25,000.
This means you could receive up to £125,000 in total, towards the purchase of new equipment and technology.
Further to these improvements, we have also increased the grant amount available for most items from last year.
This year there will be multiple application windows. We'll let you know when these are open for applications.
There is also a new Farming Investment Fund application service to make it easier to apply for FETF grants. You will need to register for the new Farming Investment Fund application service to submit your application when this is launched.
Productivity
Applications for productivity items are scored on:
- productivity benefit
- environmental benefit
- level of adoption by the industry
There are now 85 different items of productivity equipment, and you can apply for a grant towards the cost of any of these items.
We've put them into categories to make it easier to find equipment that is relevant to you – but please do look in all the categories as there may be relevant items there too.
Following suggestions captured in our survey, we are including 24 new items of productivity equipment for the first time in this new round including:
- tractor powered electric desiccator for weed and plant control
- combine mounted weed seed reduction system
- drone for spraying whitewash on to glasshouses
- closed transfer system for sprayers for containers
- solar powered water pump
- mobile tractor powered livestock total feed ration mixer
- forestry harvesting head with bark stripping
Popular and innovative items of productivity equipment that continue to be eligible for a grant include a robotic drill and guided hoe, inter row hoes and weeders, camera guided inter row sprayers, rainwater harvesting tanks, automatic tree planter, direct drill with fertiliser placement and a robotic silage pusher.
The list of productivity items is available on GOV.UK.
Slurry
Applications for slurry items are scored on:
- improving slurry management
- environmental benefit
- level of adoption by the industry
There are now 17 different items of slurry equipment to help improve the collection and spreading of slurry. You can apply for a grant towards the cost of any of these items.
Following suggestions from farmers, we have widened the specification for slurry separators to allow screw press, screen press and mobile separators.
Popular items of slurry equipment that continue to be eligible for a grant include robotic slurry collectors, flow rate monitoring equipment and low emission slurry spreaders, such as dribble bars.
Applying slurry directly to the ground is a major step farmers can take to reduce ammonia emissions and improve use of slurry as an organic fertiliser.
The list of slurry items is available on GOV.UK.
Animal health and welfare
Animal health and welfare grants are available to commercial farmers who keep pigs, sheep, dairy and beef cattle and layer and broiler chickens.
There are more than 130 animal health and welfare items available in 2024, including 29 new items.
We’ve worked closely with farmers, vets, academics and industry groups to compile a list of items which improve the health and welfare of livestock, including items that respond to challenges such as heat stress and biosecurity.
Applications for animal health and welfare items are scored on their contribution towards the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway priorities. This year, you can increase your application score by 20% if you can show evidence that you’ve discussed your application with a vet.
We encourage all applicants to speak with a vet about their application. They'll be able to help you identify specific health and welfare challenges on your farm, to inform which equipment would work best for you.
An Annual Health and Welfare Review is a great way to have this conversation. We hope that you'll take the opportunity to have a fully funded vet visit before applying for a grant.
The list of animal health and welfare items is available on GOV.UK.
Learn more
Applications will open soon. We'll blog when you can apply so, subscribe to the Farming blog to receive a reminder on the day.
Our team hosted a webinar on 12 March 2024.
23 comments
Comment by JONATHAN CHAPMAN posted on
The payment system has changed this year where you were paid grant amount regardless as long as spec was met. Previously the claim process was very simple but I fear this will increase complexity of claiming and encourage supplier price inflation. What checks will you be doing to ensure no more than 50% of cost is paid? How will it work for more complicated items such as fixed cattle handling, where could be multiple suppliers for everything necessary to construct and install e.g. concreting posts into floor?
Comment by The Team posted on
Hi Jonathan,
Grants are capped at either 50% or 60% of the actual cost or the expected average cost of the item, whichever is lower. As you'll see in the guidance, we won't pay above the expected average cost in any circumstance, regardless of if the actual cost is more.
Where the amount paid for an item is less than the expected average cost, the grant amount is based on the actual amount that was paid and all invoices are scrutinised before claim payments are made. The specification for an item must still be met to obtain a payment - this has not changed for FETF24.
We will continue to review the expected average costs of equipment between rounds – which will help us to monitor if there is any evidence of supplier inflation. RPA only pays for the cost of the items - supply and installation costs are excluded.
Best wishes,
The Team
Comment by Gary Harrison posted on
Could you tell me the machine you have in mind for FETF416? As there doesn’t seem to be a machine available with that specification in the UK?
Comment by The Team posted on
Hi Gary,
The field drain cleaner is commercially available in the UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-2024/productivity-items-and-specifications-farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-fetf-2024#livestock). We can't recommend a particular manufacturer. If you have a field drain cleaner in mind and you're unsure if it meets the specification, you can contact FETFEnquiries@rpa.gov.uk and colleagues in the RPA will be able to help.
Best wishes,
The Team
Comment by Gary Harrison posted on
Thank you for your reply, but you must of had a machine with its specification in mind to write the criteria? I have searched high and low and there isn’t a machine with that specific specification available. If there is,it is not a machine familiar to this area of the fens where land drain cleaning is common place and very necessary.
Field drain cleaners are high volume, low pressure. They're generally hydraulically driven up the drain, not with a self propelling head.
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hi Gary,
The FETF team asked whether you give permission for them to contact you directly using the Hotmail address you provided when leaving your comments - let me know.
Best wishes,
Sarah
Comment by Gary Harrison posted on
Yes please.
Comment by Joe Hodgson posted on
Hi, When do you expect applications to open? Thanks
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hello Joe,
The window to apply for productivity and slurry grants opened yesterday: https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2024/03/06/farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-improving-productivity-and-slurry-management-grants-available/
You'll see in the post it says that the grants for animal health and welfare will be available this month - we'll blog when it's time to apply. If you subscribe to the blog, you'll get an email whenever we publish a new post: https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/subscribe/
Best wishes,
Sarah
Comment by Paul French posted on
Hi can you tell me if a wagon mounted wood chipper for chipping forestry wood residue IE brash and wood
Comment by The Team posted on
Hi Paul,
The list of forestry items can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-2024/productivity-items-and-specifications-farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-fetf-2024#forestry
If you have specific questions about item specifications, you can email the team: FETFEnquiries@rpa.gov.uk
Best wishes,
The Team
Comment by Mary Taylor posted on
I'd really like to check if a product is eligible under the Animal Health and Welfare strand and have emailed FETFEnquiries@rpa.gov.uk a couple of times but heard nothing back yet. Is there someone I could contact directly about this, please? Would very much like to start getting information out about a new product designed specifically for dairy hoof health!
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hi Mary,
Thanks for getting in touch - I'm sorry you've not heard anything back. I have shared your comment with FETF team members, asking them to look out for your emails. In the meantime, you can call the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) helpline on 03000 200 301 and select the option for the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund.
Best wishes,
Sarah
Comment by Mary Taylor posted on
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for getting back to me. I've jut been able to leave a message for the FETF team and am hoping that someone will be able to get back to me tomorrow. Thanks for your help,
Best wishes,
Mary
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
No problem. The team has been very busy processing claims but they're now working through queries regarding eligibility of equipment and they will respond as soon as they can.
Best wishes,
Sarah
Comment by Aaron Berg posted on
Hi, is it possible for only one of several items applied for to be granted or is it all or nothing for the whole grant? And is it any more or less likely to be approved if multiple things are applied for rather than just one?
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hi Aaron,
You can apply for more than one grant, but if you want to apply for more than one grant, you’ll need to submit separate applications. Each application is scored separately by the RPA. You might find this part of the guidance useful: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-2024/apply-for-the-farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-fetf-2024#how-much-money-youll-receive
Best wishes,
Sarah
Comment by Scott Bailey posted on
Hi i cant make my mind up to buy new equipment just now will there be this option in of the grant in 2025 and will Scottish farming start getting these grants?
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hello Scott,
We’re planning 2 more windows to apply for productivity, slurry and animal health and welfare grants later this year.
Agriculture is a devolved policy area, so each nation in the UK is responsible for its own farming policies and payments. Scotland's can be found here: https://www.mygov.scot/farm-payments-support
Best wishes,
Sarah
Comment by John posted on
Hi I’d like too apply for a grant for direct drill. Can still apply if the drill is not in the country or even made yet. John.
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hi John,
For FETF2024, we are planning multiple application windows, and you can choose when it is best for you to apply. If your application is successful and you are offered a grant, you will then have to purchase the drill and submit a claim - before the end of the claim period relating to the application window you have applied in.
Before submitting the claim, you must take delivery of the drill and pay for it in full. If you think you will have difficulty meeting the claim deadline, please email the RPA at FETFEnquiries@rpa.gov.uk who can advise how best to proceed.
Best wishes,
Sarah
Comment by Paul posted on
Hi,
Is commercial bee farming supported by these grants this would be a great way to support and increase domestic honey production.
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hi Paul,
Yes. The deadline is midday today but there will be further rounds this year.
Best wishes,
Sarah