The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) provides grants to support investment in equipment and technology across 3 themes: productivity, slurry management, and animal health and welfare.
The fund helps farmers, growers, foresters, and contractors buy equipment and technology that can improve efficiency, reduce costs, and strengthen profitability.
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is now moving into the next stage of the process, with the first grant funding agreements (GFAs) being issued from today.
In this first group, almost 7,000 successful applicants across the 3 themes will receive GFAs.
Further GFAs will be issued over the coming weeks, giving successful applicants time to secure the equipment they need.
Next steps
Successful applicants
If your application is successful, you will receive your GFA by email shortly.
If you receive a GFA, read it carefully and make sure you understand the terms and conditions, as well as the claim deadline.
Follow the link in your GFA to accept the offer or withdraw from the scheme through the Farming Investment Fund service before the deadline.
If you receive a GFA, it's worth putting in an order with your supplier as early as possible. With a high number of successful applications across the fund, suppliers will appreciate the notice, and this may help avoid delays.
As with any specialist equipment purchase, delivery times can vary depending on demand and wider supply chain pressures, so it's a good idea to factor this into your planning.
Successful applicants can find guidance on how to claim their grant on GOV.UK.
Unsuccessful applicants
If your application is unsuccessful, the RPA will contact you to explain the reasons why.
Contact
If you have any questions, email ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk — include your Single Business Identifier (SBI) and project ID in the body of the email and use "FETF" as the email subject.
Number snapshot
Of the first group of successful applicants receiving GFAs, around 3,600 applied under the animal health and welfare theme. This includes funding for items such as mobile livestock handling systems, automatic calf feeders, cattle weighing equipment and livestock housing improvements designed to support animal health and welfare.
Around 2,200 successful applicants receiving agreements in this group applied under the productivity theme. They will receive funding for a range of equipment and technology, including GPS guidance systems, direct drills and robotic mechanical weeders.
In addition, around 900 applicants receiving agreements in this group applied under the slurry management theme. This includes funding for items such as slurry separator systems, dribble bars and slurry flow meters, helping farmers make better use of nutrients and improve slurry management.
Across previous FETF rounds, funding has supported practical improvements on farms. This includes equipment such as improved poultry drinker systems to support bird health, and direct drills with fertiliser placement to improve soil and nutrient management. You can read more in our recent post: FETF 2026: apply now for equipment and technology grants.
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We're also always interested in hearing how funding is working in practice. If you've benefited from an FETF grant, we'd love to hear about your experience in the comments.
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