Farming Investment Fund

The Farming Investment Fund (FIF) provides grants to improve productivity and bring environmental benefits. FIF is made up of 2 separate funds:

• Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (for grants between £1,000 and £25,000)

• Farming Transformation Fund (for grants between £25,000 and £500,000)

Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2023

For FETF 2023, grants are available towards the cost of equipment and technology to improve productivity, environment and animal health and welfare.

There are 2 themes. The Animal Health and Welfare portal is now closed for applications. The grant is competitive, and you will not automatically get a grant.

Find out what the FETF 2023 funding is for and who can apply.

If you’ve received a Grant Funding Agreement for Productivity and Slurry, you should check that your chosen items are available with your supplier and accept (or withdraw) using the online FETF Acceptance portal. You’ll need to do this by midnight on 3 July 2023. Once you have accepted your Grant Funding Agreement, you can purchase your items and claim your money by midnight on 7 November 2023.

Farming Equipment and Technology Fund Round 1

The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund Round 1 is closed for applications.

For general information about the scheme you can read the FETF round 1 manual.

FETF contact details

For any questions about your claim, email FETFEnquiries@rpa.gov.uk or call the RPA helpline on 03000 200 301 and select the option for the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund.

Farming Transformation Fund (FTF)

This fund provides grants towards large capital items to help businesses improve productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability. There are 4 grants:

• Water Management
• Slurry Infrastructure
• Adding Value
• Improving Farm Productivity

Water Management Grant Round 2

Arable or horticultural businesses in England can apply for funding for projects that improve:

• productivity
• water sustainability
• the environment

You can apply for a grant of between £35,000 and £500,000 per applicant business.

The grant is competitive, so RPA will score your application against the funding priorities and award a grant to the highest scoring applications.

The Water Management Grant online checker is now closed. RPA is assessing the online checker applications received.

Find out what the Water Management Grant Round 2 will fund and how to apply.

Water Management Grant Round 1

If we invited you to submit a full application for your project, the deadline for submitting applications was 30 November 2022.

You can find information about the grant in the Water Management Grant manual and the How to fill in a Water Management Grant full application.

Slurry Infrastructure grant

The Slurry Infrastructure grant is available to pig, beef and dairy farmers whose farming systems produce slurry. It helps replace, build new or expand existing slurry stores to provide 6 months’ storage. You can apply for a grant between £25,000 and £250,000. The grant is competitive, so RPA will award a grant to those projects that have the greatest environmental outcomes.

The success of your online application will depend on the number and value of online applications we receive and the projects that will most benefit the environment, based on their location.

RPA informed applicants of the outcome of their applications at the end of March 2023.

Submitting a full application

If you are invited to submit a full application for your project, you must submit your forms and supporting evidence by 11:59pm on 28 June 2024.

Before you submit a full application for your project, read the guidance about the Slurry Infrastructure grant.

Adding Value grant

The Adding Value grant is available for growers or producers to add value to eligible agricultural products after they have been harvested or reared. It is competitive, so the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will score your application based on merit. RPA will award a grant to the strongest applications. You can apply for a grant between £25,000 and £300,000.

The success of your full application will depend on the number and value of applications we receive.

Submitting a full application

If we invited you to submit a full application for your project, you must submit your forms and supporting evidence by 31 January 2024.

Before you submit a full application for your project, read the guidance about the Adding Value grant.

Improving Farm Productivity grant

The Improving Farm Productivity online checker closed on 16 March 2022.

If your project scored highly enough, you’ll have been invited to submit a full application. The success of your full application will depend on the number and value of applications we receive. You can apply for a grant between £35,000 and £500,000.

What happens next

For the Water Management Grant Round 2, use the online checker to find out if you can apply for this grant. The checker opened on 19 April 2023 and will close at 11.59pm on 12 July 2023.

If we invited you to submit a full application for a Slurry Infrastructure grant, you must submit your forms and supporting evidence by 11:59pm on 28 June 2024.

For Improving Farm Productivity and Adding Value grants, RPA will assess your full application. If it’s successful, you’ll get a Grant Funding Agreement (GFA) and can begin to work on the project.

RPA will let you know by email if your application did not score highly enough.

Submitting a full application

If we invited you to submit a full application for your project, the deadline was 14 September 2022 for Tranche 1 applications and 31 January 2023 for Tranche 2 applications.

Information on the grant can be found in the Improving Farm Productivity grant manual and the How to apply for an Improving Farm Productivity grant.

Calf housing for health and welfare grant

In 2023, grants to build new or refurbish existing calf housing will be made available for the beef and dairy sectors. The grant aims to improve the health and welfare of calves (up to 6 months old) by providing a good ambient environment and facilitating social contact through pair or group housing.

You could get a 40% grant towards the cost of calf housing which:

• provides good ventilation and protects calves from draughts
• protects calves from getting too hot or too cold
• has solid floors with adequate drainage and straw bedding
• houses calves in pairs or groups
• provides calf enrichment
• meets environmental objectives, such as installation of solar panels

The grant will be competitive, so the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will prioritise calf housing projects that have the biggest impact on animal health and welfare and have considered innovation, productivity, and environmental outcomes.

More information will be available in summer 2023 ahead of the grant’s launch.

Manage a successful FTF project

If your full application is successful, you’ll receive a GFA. Use the guidance ‘Managing a successful Farming Transformation Fund project’ to help you meet your project’s objectives.

FTF contact details

Email FTF@rpa.gov.uk or call the RPA helpline on 03000 200 301 and select the option for the Farming Transformation Fund.