Mercian House,
9 Darwin Court, Oxon Business Park, Shrewsbury, SY3 5AL
The Estates Office,
20 Salop Road,
Oswestry SY11 2NU
The land management professionals at Roger Parry & Partners have a detailed working knowledge of available grants and subsidies and the regulatory framework that applies to rural businesses. We are able to provide practical pro-active advice on how these affect a client’s business.
There are a variety of schemes that require expertise and advice, to receive the payments that you are entitled to and ensure that these are correct. The paperwork that is now required for schemes can be complex and time-consuming and the aim of our land experts is to remove the burden of complicated legislation and regulation by offering practical compliance advice. We aim to alert clients to opportunities and also advise clients to achieve a maximum return for their business, taking into consideration their objectives and farming business operations.
We pride ourselves at being at the cutting edge of legal developments and government policy to ensure that our advice will always keep clients well informed. We are expert in the operation and application of the Basic Payment Scheme and how the specifics of legislation affect businesses day-to-day. Our experienced entitlement trading team are able to secure clients the best possible deal.
The Single Payment Scheme came to an end in 2014 and its replacement, the Basic Payment Scheme, was new for 2015 and introduced more complicated rules, such as Greening guidelines. We can help you to ensure your business is meeting all the requirements and maximising your money or if you’re new to the scheme we can help set you up. Contact us if you require assistance with registration, online access or completion of your claim.
Grants
Clients will be advised on entering into these schemes that are complicated and that often have pitfalls. We can advise in a way that takes the client’s objectives into consideration and ensure that a significant benefit is gained from them. We can complete applications forms, review payments, submit claims, liaise with funding bodies, provide advice when looking at funding, monitoring claims, maximising returns and identifying projects.
Below is a list of the rural grants currently available (updated February 2023)
• Organic Grant Schemes
• Rural Enterprise Grants
• Environmental Grants
• Local Government Grants
• Business Rates Relief Grants
England | ||
Basic Payment Scheme | Payments based on hectares of farmed land. Young Farmer top-up also available. Last year of applications. Delinked payments will replace BPS from 2024 which will be based on an average of payments between 2020 and 2022. Must claim BPS in 2023 to be eligible. | Open Spring 2023. Deadline 15th May each year |
Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier | Last year to apply for CS Mid Tier and Wildlife Offers 5 year scheme with annual revenue payments. Range of options for grassland, arable and historic/archaeological features. Range of capital items including fencing, hedge laying, roofing and livestock tracks. CSF approval is required for some items in high and medium priority water quality areas. Capital items must be complete within the first 3 years of the agreement. If successful, your agreement will begin on 1st January 2024. | Open spring 2023 Closes August 2023 Last date to request applications and CSFO approval 31st May 2023 |
Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier | A more detailed version of Mid Tier. | Open now for applications |
Countryside Stewardship Capital Grant | 3 year scheme. 4 funding elements to improve biodiversity, water quality, air quality and natural flood management e.g. Slurry scrapers, concrete yard renewal, roofing, rainwater goods and fencing. Each item has a standard cost £ per m or per ha. Limit of £20,000 for each element of funding. | Open all year round |
England Woodland Creation Offer | Funds the creation of new woodland from the area of 1 hectare. Costs of planting woodland. Support for capital items. 10 years of annual maintenance payments. Contribution towards the cost of installing infrastructure. Up to £10,000 per hectare Capital payment for trees at £1.60 per tree plus supporting works e.g. fencing at £5.00/m Maintenance Payments of £300 per ha per year for 10 years | |
Sustainable Farming Incentive | Area based funding through three different standards; arable and horticultural soils, improved grassland soils and, moorland and rough grazing. 3 year scheme. Amendments can be made yearly. Open to Landowners and Tenants. Whole or part farm scheme. No min or max amount of land. Common land eligible through group agreements. All standards require testing of soil organic matter, a soil assessment and a management plan. Standards comprise of: · Arable & Horticultural Soils: £22-£40/ha · Improved Grassland Soils: £28-£58/ha · Moorland and Rough Grazing: £148/ agreement plus £6.45/ha Intro. · Hedgerows: £3-10/m · Integrated pest management: Plan £989/year plus £45-£673/ha · Nutrient management: Report £589/year plus £102-£593/ha · Arable and horticultural land: £451-£614/ha · Improved grassland: £235-£474/ha · Low input grassland: £98-£151/ha Payments are made quarterly. Further standards and ambition levels available in future years An additional management payment of £20/ha for up to 50ha of land entered into the scheme is available for Farmers to receive up to £1,000 per year in addition to their agreement to cover the administrative costs of participation. | Open for applications |
Local Nature Recovery | Pay for actions that support local nature recovery and meet local environmental priorities. Encourage collaboration between farmers, helping them work together to improve their local environment. | Launch in 2024 |
Landscape Recovery | Support landscape and ecosystem recovery through long term projects e.g. restoring wilder landscapes, large-scale tree planting and peatland and saltmarsh restoration. | Launch in 2024 |
Farming Equipment and Technology Fund | £1,000 to £25,000 grant funding on a list of eligible items. Available to farmers, contractors and foresters with an SBI. Two separate applications: Productivity and Slurry: Funding towards capital items to improve agricultural sustainability and horticultural and forestry productivity, helping farmers use less inputs, reduce emissions and cut waste. E.g. Dribble bar, trailing slurry show, cameras for monitoring farm yard, forestry equipment. Animal Health and Welfare: Funding towards capital items to offer improvements in health and welfare of livestock, improving biosecurity and decrease environmental stress. E.g. Mobile handling system, cattle crush, weighing system, livestock cameras etc. | Open February 2023 Open March 2023 |
Farming Transformation fund – Water Management Grant | Capital items to improve farm productivity through more efficient use of water for irrigation, and to secure water supplies for crop irrigation by the construction of on-farm reservoirs and the adoption of best practice irrigation application equipment. £35,000 to £500,000 grants funding (40% of the cost). | Closed |
Farming Innovation Programme | 3 Funds available: – The Industry-led Research and Development Partnerships Fund – The Farming Futures Research and Development Fund (competitions open early 2022) – The Projects to Accelerate Adoption Fund (competitions open later in 2022) | Industry-led Research and Development Partnerships Fund open now for applications |
Animal Health and Welfare review | Commercial livestock keepers – 50 pigs, 20 sheep or 10 cattle. Lump sum payment to cover vet costs. Vet to provide advice on recommendations and actions that improve animal health and welfare. | Closed |
STEPS – Species Rich Hedgerows | Area based funding for priority catchment areas for protecting river health and drinking water quality. Severn Trent has pledged to fund reinstating and filling in any gaps in hedgerow over your land to increase the ecological corridors across the landscape. For fields used for grazing stock fencing in areas planted can be included to keep the animals from destroying the saplings. 100% funding for all materials including the locally sourced tree plants. All labour costs will also be covered if desired. | Open |
STEPS – Capital Scheme | The scheme offers farmers and land managers, both owners and tenants, financial and technical support, to invest in solutions to help tackle diffuse water pollution and to protect and maintain biodiversity and the natural environment in priority catchments. Apply for up to £30,000 of funding Match funded. | Closed |
Wales | ||
Basic Payment Scheme | Payments based on hectares of farmed land. Young Farmer top-up also available. | Open spring Deadline 15th May each year |
Small Grants – Environment | Capital funding to do works such as hedge planting, hedge laying, hedge coppicing, stoning gateways, guttering and downpipes etc. | Closes 3rd March |
Small Grants – Woodland creation | Capital funding for planting up to 2 ha of woodland in minimum 0.1ha blocks. Capital funding for supportive works such as fencing. Example: Native Biodiversity woodland 1600 – £3,000/ha, Shelterwood – £3,600/£4,500/ha, fencing – £5.56/m. 12 Year annual payments per ha – £350 and £60 | Closes 24th March |
Small Grant – Yard Coverings | £3,000 to £12,000 grant funding (40% funding based on standard cost). Roofing of livestock feeding/handling areas, manure stores and silage stores. Planning consent and SAB (drainage) approval required to claim. | Opens 26th June Closes 4th August |
Small Grants – Efficiency | Grants of between £1,000 and £12,000 towards farm equipment. 40% funding. List of eligible items to choose from with a standard cost. Items include livestock handling systems, solar powered fence energisers, weighing systems, EID equipment and arable/grassland equipment. | Opens 16th January Closes 24th February |
Small Grants – Horticulture Start up | Funding to encourage and support new commercial horticultural enterprises in Wales. Eligible costs include specific equipment and technology for horticulture, seed/plants, harvesting and storage systems, marketing/advertising costs and branding/website costs. Second hand equipment is eligible. Maximum of £3,000 available to each applicant | |
Nutrient Management Investment Scheme | Grants of £12,000 to £50,000 for items to enhance farm nutrient management and water efficiency, such as covered slurry stores, vacuum tanks, manure stores, GPS systems, manure spreaders, slurry store covers and yard roofing. | Closed |
Growing for the Environment | Funding to establish an unsprayed crop following autumn harvesting of cereals or maize. Minimum area of 1ha of crop established across holding. Soil Test must be undertaken. Maximum grant of £5,000. Autumn or Spring sown crops. | Closed |
Horticulture Development Scheme | Available to existing horticultural producers with the aim to develop their business through investment in new equipment, improve efficiency and allow them to enter new markets. The maximum grant awarded is £50,000 and the minimum is £3,000 which provides a 40% contribution towards the investment. Eligible costs include: cultivation equipment, precision seed drills, precision nutrient application equipment, harvesters, storage and transport systems, GPS equipment and polytunnels/glasshouses. | Opens 4th April Closes 27th May |
Organic Conversion | The scheme is an area based support scheme available to existing agricultural producers across Wales who wish to convert from conventional to organic production. Differing payment rates depending on land cover classification. Between £12.60/ha to £345/ha | Closed |
Woodland Creation Planning Scheme | Capital funding offered for development plans of creation of new woodland. Between £1,000-£5,000 available to provide plan | Open |
Woodland Creation Grant (Planting) | Funding to support commitments of woodland expansion set out in net zero Wales and the Programme for Government commitments to create an National Forest for Wales. From £3,000/hectare for planting, maintenance payments of £60/hectare for 12 years and premium payments of £350/ha for 12 years | Open 13th February Closes 24th March |
Woodland Restoration | Capital works for restocking, fencing and associated operations on sites where there is larch and up to 50% non-larch species Management Plan – Up to £1,500 towards plan. Restocking Grant – £1,900 to £2,770 | Open 16th December Closes |