The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) opens for applications on 29 May.
Today, we published the 2025 FETF guidance on GOV.UK to help you prepare.
In this post, we’ll give an overview.
Overview
FETF provides grants for machinery, equipment and technology items to help cut costs and boost efficiency on your farm.
Funding is available under 3 themes:
- Productivity
- Slurry Management
- Animal Health and Welfare
We’ve grouped items into themes to make it easier to find equipment, but we encourage you to look across all themes, as there may be useful items outside your main area of interest.
Grants will range from £1,000 to a maximum of £25,000 for each theme. We will pay a percentage of the cost of the item, which varies by item.
The fund is competitive. Each theme has rules for scoring, to make sure public money is used well.
You will be able to apply on 29 May. The window to apply will be open for 6 weeks, closing midday, 10 July.
Once the application window closes, all applications will be reviewed and scored. You may not receive all, or any, of the funding you apply for.
We’ll update this post with links to apply once live.
In total, £46.7 million will be available for farmers, growers, foresters and their contractors.
- £30 million will support the productivity and slurry management themes
- £16.7 million will support the animal health and welfare theme.
Productivity
This grant helps boost your farm’s efficiency and profitability.
There are 66 different items of productivity equipment. You can apply for a grant towards any of these. Popular items eligible include:
- Tractor powered electric desiccators for weed control (e-weeders)
- Robotic drill and guided hoe
- Inter row hoes and weeders (and other precision farming equipment)
Other popular items include rainwater harvesting tanks, camera-guided inter-row sprayers and a robotic silage pusher.
Applications for productivity items are scored based on how much they improve productivity, help the environment, and how widely they are used in the industry.
Your application is more likely to be successful if your Single Business Identifier (SBI) has not claimed more than a total of £10,000 of productivity and slurry management funding from previous FETF rounds – but this will only come into play if we’re oversubscribed.
The productivity items and specifications are on GOV.UK.
Slurry Management
This grant improves how you collect, store, test and spread slurry.
Better slurry management helps improve soil health and water and air quality, while making the most of valuable nutrients — supporting nature and your bottom line.
There are 17 different slurry equipment items, and popular items eligible include:
- Robotic slurry collectors
- Flow rate monitoring equipment
- Low-emission slurry spreaders such as dribble bars
Applications for these items are scored on improving slurry management, environmental benefit and level of adoption by the industry.
Your application is more likely to be successful if your Single Business Identifier (SBI) has not claimed more than a total of £10,000 of productivity and slurry management funding from previous FETF rounds – but this will only come into play if we’re oversubscribed.
The slurry management items and specifications are on GOV.UK.
Animal Health and Welfare
This grant can help you improve your livestock’s health and welfare, leading to higher productivity, better quality, and more reliable food production, all of which help increase your profits.
Animal health and welfare grants are available to commercial farmers who keep pigs, sheep, dairy cows, beef cattle, layer chickens or broilers.
There are more than 100 eligible items. Popular items include:
- Piglet creeps
- Mobile cattle and sheep handling systems
- Cooling systems for poultry housing
We’ve worked closely with farmers, vets, academics and industry groups to set this list of items for livestock, including equipment that helps address issues such as heat stress or biosecurity risks.
You can increase your application score by 20% if you provide evidence that you've discussed your application with a vet.
We want to support these conversations as vets can help identify how best to improve health and welfare on your farm and suggest the most suitable equipment. You can take advantage of our funded vet visit for this, the Animal Health and Welfare Review.
The animal health and welfare items and specifications are on GOV.UK.
Watch our webinar on FETF
We hosted a webinar on Wednesday 21 May for people to learn more about the offer.
In this session, we talked through:
- what the fund offers
- who is eligible
- how to apply
- how applications are assessed
Questions asked in the webinar
We ran out of time to answer all the questions during the webinar. Here are responses to the ones we didn’t get to.
Q: Is the grant open to a sole trader operating for less than a year as a contractor?
A: Yes, a sole trader operating as a contractor for less than a year is eligible to apply. However, they may be asked to provide additional information.
Q: There is a product available that replaces a footbath for cows – it's a mat that cows walk over to clean their feet. It helps prevent digital dermatitis. Will this be eligible under FETF85?
A: No. An item must meet all the eligibility criteria listed in the specification to qualify for funding.
Q: I have a client interested in item FETF109, which would be installed on a new tractor. The tractor will be financed, so the invoice would go to the finance company. Can he apply, and what proof is required if there is no invoice?
A: To be eligible, your client would need to purchase FETF109 in full and receive a separate invoice from the tractor purchase. The invoice should be addressed to your client and not the finance company.
Q: Can the fund be used to upgrade existing Herd Management Systems, for example, to accommodate more cows?
A: All items, including Herd Management Systems, must meet all the criteria listed in the specification to be eligible. You can apply for an item even if you’ve previously received FETF funding for it.
Q: There used to be a mobile pig handling system on the grants list, but I couldn't find a supplier. RPA couldn’t suggest one either.
A: We don’t publish lists of makes, models or suppliers, as we do not wish to favour any particular manufacturer.
Defra cannot recommend or endorse specific manufacturers. Prices may also vary depending on supplier and farmer relationships.
Q: Regarding slurry items – could a slurry/sand separator (e.g. a non-powered parabolic screen) be included?
A: We need more information to advise. Please provide the make and model of the item and email it to: fetfenquiries@rpa.gov.uk
Q: What information needs to be gathered before applying—stocking numbers, employees, etc.? Is there a sample application form available?
A: The RPA has created a YouTube video showing how to complete an FETF application. It includes information on creating a FIF account and covers Animal Health and Welfare, Productivity, and Slurry themes.
Q: Does each theme have a separate budget? For example, if the AHW section is oversubscribed, will slurry funding still be available?
A: Yes. The total budget is £46.7 million. £30 million for the Productivity and Slurry themes and £16.7 million for the Animal Health and Welfare (AHW) theme.
Q: Can items be purchased from businesses outside the UK?
A: Yes.
Q: I'm interested in replacing our pig arks with insulated ones. Can I apply for more than one? And if I apply for five but only install four by the claim deadline, will I still get paid for the four?
A: If you change or remove items, your amended Grant Funding Agreement (GFA) must still fall within the £1,000–£25,000 grant values for each of the 3 FETF 2025 themes: Productivity, Slurry, and AHW.
Funding for each theme will be allocated starting with the highest-scoring applications. Your revised score must meet or exceed the theme’s minimum threshold. If not, RPA will withdraw your GFA.
Q: Did I see correctly that plate meters are no longer included?
A: Yes. Items that have been widely supported over several rounds, such as plate meters and farmyard monitoring cameras, have been removed to improve value for money and focus on innovative equipment.
Q: Can sheeted gates be used for pig pens rather than building entrances?
A: No. Sheeted gates under the AHW theme are intended for livestock building entrances only, to prevent access by wildlife.
Q: Why must perimeter fencing for cattle be 3m from a neighbour’s fence line?
A: FETF funding for perimeter fencing (FETF221A) under the AHW theme is for boundary fencing to separate cattle from neighbouring farms and reduce the risk of disease transmission.
Q: How long does it take for agreements to be offered after the application window closes?
A: 8–11 weeks.
Q: Are there any implications if I had an agreement last year but didn’t receive funding?
A: No. Each FETF scheme year runs independently.
Q: Once I’ve submitted a claim, how long will it take for payment?
A: RPA aims to process claims and make payments within 30 working days, provided all claim evidence is complete and satisfactory.
Q: Can I apply for a cattle crush or other equipment if I don’t yet own any cattle?
A: Yes, but you will need to explain the absence of livestock during the application process.
Q: If an item has a long delivery lead time, is there a deadline for delivery and invoicing?
A: Yes. Items must be delivered and paid for before you submit your claim and before the claim deadline.
Q: Will the claim deadline be included in the Grant Funding Agreement?
A: Yes.
Q: What if an item costs more than the listed average cost?
A: If the item is eligible, you will receive the maximum grant amount listed on GOV.UK, regardless of the actual cost.
Q: Does the scheme apply to the devolved nations?
A: No, the scheme only covers England.
Q: Can Asset Finance be used to cover the balance after the grant?
A: No. The item must remain free of Asset Finance for five years from the date of your claim payment.
Q: Can I apply for two automatic milk machines?
A: Robotic milking machines are not eligible under FETF. However, automatic milk feeding machines for lambs and calves (FETF94 and FETF239A) are available under the AHW theme. You can apply for more than one.
Q: Can I apply for perimeter fencing for cattle around a slurry lagoon, for Red Tractor compliance?
A: No. Perimeter fencing (FETF221A) is only funded under AHW as boundary fencing between farms to prevent disease spread.
Q: Can I claim retrospectively for livestock camera coverage under the AHW Pathway?
A: No. Retrospective claims are not eligible under FETF.
Q: What is the minimum spend for the Animal Health and Welfare grant?
A: £1,000—the minimum threshold applies to all FETF themes.
Q: Do contractors need a CRN and SBI to apply?
A: Yes. Contractors must be registered with the RPA and have their own SBI and CRN.
Q: Are any grants available for rainwater harvesting for beef, sheep, and pig farmers?
A: Yes. Rainwater harvesting tanks are available through the Productivity theme and are open to all livestock farmers.
Q: Can I apply for second-hand equipment?
A: No. Second-hand equipment is not eligible for FETF funding.
Q: What is the minimum grant funding threshold?
A: £1,000.
Q: I understand there’s a grant for water troughs. Does this apply to horses and donkeys, as well as cattle?
A: No. AHW theme items apply only to the livestock sectors listed. Horses and donkeys are not eligible.
Water troughs are not funded under the Productivity or Slurry themes. However, FETF413 (solar-powered water pump) under the Productivity theme is intended for use with livestock drinking troughs.
2 comments
Comment by Rob Yorke posted on
I like it - slurry dribble bars, tree shears, high voltage weed zappers, mobile venison chillers, field drain cleaners - this round has covered it in preventing diffuse pollution, enhancing woodland management, reducing use of pesticides, protecting trees and improving soil structure.
I hope it attracts the interest it requires to help the farming and land management transition move forward.
yours etc, Rob Yorke
Comment by Therese Mitchell posted on
I notice there is no mention of PTZ cameras this time round?
Can anyone tell me anything to the contrary?