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TRANSCRIPT
February 2016
Farms Department
Fisher German LLP Chartered Surveyors
40 High Street
Market Harborough
Leicestershire
LE16 7NX
RURAL GRANT FUNDING
OVERVIEW
Contents
1.0 OVERVIEW & HOW WE CAN HELP .................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Table 1 Grant Summary Overview (at February 2016) ......................................................................... 2
2.0 GROWTH PROGRAMME ................................................................................................................................... 4
2.1 SCHEME OVERVIEW ................................................................................................................................. 4
2.2 LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIPS (LEPS) ............................................................................................ 4
2.2.1 Table 2 Growth Funds (Rural Development) Calls ............................................................................. 5
2.3 SIZE OF GRANT AVAILABLE ..................................................................................................................... 5
2.4 HOW TO APPLY ......................................................................................................................................... 5
3.0 LEADER GRANTS ................................................................................................................................................ 6
3.1 LOCAL ACTION GROUPS (LAGS) .......................................................................................................... 6
3.2 EXAMPLES .................................................................................................................................................. 7
3.3 HOW TO APPLY ......................................................................................................................................... 7
4.0 OTHER CAPITAL GRANTS .................................................................................................................................. 7
4.1 CATCHMENT SENSITIVE FARMING ......................................................................................................... 7
4.2 BOUNDARIES & HEDGES ......................................................................................................................... 8
4.3 WOODLAND CREATION GRANTS .......................................................................................................... 8
4.4 WOODLAND IMPROVEMENT ................................................................................................................. 8
4.5 SUPPORT FOR WOODLAND MANAGEMENT PLAN ............................................................................. 9
4.6 WOODLAND TREE HEALTH - RESTORATION .......................................................................................... 9
4.7 COUNTRYSIDE PRODUCTIVITY ................................................................................................................ 9
4.8 FORESTRY INNOVATION ........................................................................................................................ 10
4.9 AGRI-TECH GROWTH FUND .................................................................................................................. 10
4.10 SEVERN TRENT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SCHEME (STEPS) ................................................. 10
4.11 AHDB FARMER INNOVATION GRANT ............................................................................................... 10
4.12 CONCLUSION ....................................................................................................................................... 11
5.0 COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP ........................................................................................................................ 11
5.1 Table 3 Outlining Potential Combinations of Grant Funding ............................................................ 12
5.2 Table 4 Outlining Potential Combinations of Grant Funding ............................................................ 12
5.3 Table 5 Possible Combinations of ES/EWGS Agreements and Countryside Stewardship Capital
Grant Elements ................................................................................................................................................. 13
6.0 USEFUL LINKS .................................................................................................................................................... 14
1
1.0 OVERVIEW & HOW WE CAN HELP
Across England today there are grants available to help provide money for projects to improve
agriculture, the environment and rural life. Funding aims to improve the environment, increase the
productivity of farming and forestry, and grow the rural economy.
With the majority of cases in order to apply for grant funding you must be one of the following;
Managing land or woodland
A farmer, grower or forester
Living in a rural community
A business owner in a rural area
A food business
Fisher German LLP (FG) is nationally recognised in many fields and leading rural estate agents, with
15 offices based throughout the UK, each on hand to provide clients with excellent service and
advice. This document will now outline potential grant funding opportunities, each of which FG can
help with submission of applications. The following table is a summary of all current grants available.
2
1.1 Table 1 Grant Summary Overview (at February 2016)
Grant Availability Type of project
supported
Who
Administrates
Funding Available
Growth
Programme
Open, depending on
Regional deadline.
(Refer to table 2).
Rural business
development.
Local Enterprise
Partnerships
(LEPs).
From £35,000 -
£140,000.
LEADER Grants
Open, depending on
regional deadline.
Two-stage
application process.
Rural business
and economy
development.
Creation of jobs
and tourism.
Local Action
Groups (LAGs).
40% of a projects
eligible cost
typically between
£2,500 and
£50,000.
Countryside
Productivity
Closed. Rural
Payment Agency
(RPA) to confirm
when re-opens.
Project
Innovation in
linking research
with farming or
forestry practices.
Rural Payment
Agency. Up to £1,000,000.
Countryside
Stewardship
Closed, Application
Window July to
September 2016.
Agreements Starting
1st January 2017.
Environmental
stewardship
(replaces ELS and
HLS)
Natural England
Depending on
Application,
minimum £1,000
per annum.
Catchment
Sensitive
Farming
Closed, Application
Window July to
September 2016.
Agreements Starting
1st January 2017.
Offers capital
grant support. Natural England
Depending on
Application.
Boundary and
Hedgerows Open,
Applications
submitted by 30 April
2016.
Small restoration
projects for
hedgerows and
stone walls.
Natural England Up to £5,000 per
applicant.
Woodland
Creation Open, deadline 31st
March 2016.
Tree planting
minimum total
area 3 ha in
minimum 0.5ha
blocks.
Natural England Grants up to
£6,800.
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Forestry
Innovation
Fund
Open, applications
submitted by 15th
February 2016.
Woodland Plans
completed 31st
March 2016
Creation of large-
scale productive
woodlands.
Forestry
Commission £150 per hectare
Agri-tech
Growth Fund
Open, Region
specific,
(Cambridgeshire,
Hertfordshire,
Rutland, Norfolk,
Suffolk and
Lincolnshire).
Deadline 31st March
2016.
Food production,
agricultural
industry, research
and
development.
Key priority to
create and
maintain existing
jobs.
Regional Growth
Fund
Between £10,000
- £150,000.
Severn Trent
Environmental
Protection
Scheme
(STEPS)
Open, (deadline 18th
March 2016).
Infrastructure,
investment and
management
schemes.
Severn Trent
Water
Payments up to
£5,000.
AHDB Farmer
Innovation
Grant
Closed, (7th February
2016).
English beef and
sheep farmers
implementing
new technology
AHDB
(Agricultural and
Horticultural
Development
Board)
Payments up to
£5,000.
Woodland
Improvement
Closed, in line with
Countryside
Stewardship.
Improve
biodiversity, water
quality.
Natural England Up to £100 per
hectare.
Support for
Woodland
Management
Open, all year.
Woodland
management
plan
Forestry
Commission -
Woodland
Tree Health -
Restoration
Open, all year. Restocking of
woodland
Forestry
Commission -
4
2.0 GROWTH PROGRAMME
2.1 SCHEME OVERVIEW
A single European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) Growth Programme has been set up to
combine three separate European Funds. These are;
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
European Social Fund (ESF)
Part of the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)
The government has allocated £177 million of rural development funding from EAFRD (European
Agricultural Fund for Rural Development) for grants in the growth programme. These grants are
available for funding and developing micro, small and medium-sized rural businesses including
food processing, small scale tourism infrastructure and tourism co-operation.
Grants are available for investments that will support growth, create new jobs and increase
productivity. Applications must demonstrate the creation of at least two full time equivalent jobs.
The grants are administrated by individual Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).
2.2 LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIPS (LEPS)
Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) are private sector-led partnerships between local authorities
and businesses. Each LEP has set out its ESIF strategy the local priorities for this funding the aim of
which is to achieve economic growth in its area.
There are 39 LEPs covering England, 37 have an allocation of Rural Development funding. To apply
for this funding the project must be located in a rural area in England.
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2.2.1 Table 2 Growth Funds (Rural Development) Calls
Local Enterprise Partnerships Regions Grant Deadline For Applications
Cheshire, Worcs, Leics, Derby, Lancs £50k-£140k 27th November 2015
Northamptonshire £50k-£140k 27th November 2015
Hants/Surrey £50k-£140k 8th January 2016
Bucks/Thames £50k-£150k 8th January 2016
Stoke/Staffordshire £50k-£140k 8th January 2016
Dorset £50k-£140k 8th January 2016
York £35k-£500k 1 April 2016
Hertfordshire £35k-140k 26 August 2016
Cambs/Peterborough £50k-£140k 26 August 2016
Anglia £35k-£140k 30 September 2016
2.3 SIZE OF GRANT AVAILABLE
The grants available range from £35,000 up to approximately £140,000 depending on state aid
already received. Applicants can apply for a grant to cover up to 40% of the projects total eligible
costs.
Applicants must pay for any costs not covered by the grant with private funding, such as savings or
a bank loan, not other public funds. (If private funding isn’t used the RPA may ask the applicant to
repay any grant money already paid and may cancel any future payments).
Funding will be offered to a maximum number of projects, but the actual number of projects
supported may be lower, dependent upon the scale and range of the projects coming forward.
2.4 HOW TO APPLY
There are two stages to the application process. Applications will be assessed at both stages and
only the strongest will be successful. The two stages are:
Stage 1: an outline application
Stage 2: a full application
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Stage one of the applications needs to be submitted prior to the outlined deadline above. As
emphasised this is a competitive application process and so there is no guarantee that applicants
will be accepted onto the scheme.
3.0 LEADER GRANTS
LEADER is part of the Rural Development Program for England (RDPE) and is administered by Local
Action Groups. The programme can fund farmers, growers, foresters, other local rural businesses
and rural community organisations to help:
Create jobs
Develop rural businesses
Support the rural economy
To be successful, all applicants will be required to operate from within a designated LEADER area
and applications must contribute to one or more of Defra's six priorities for LEADER, which are to:
Increase farm productivity
Support micro and small businesses and farm diversification
Boost rural tourism
Provide rural services
Provide cultural and heritage activities
Increase forestry productivity.
In most cases grants will be up to 40% of a projects eligible cost between £2,500 and £3,500. Each
LAG will have set deadlines and requirements.
3.1 LOCAL ACTION GROUPS (LAGS)
The local action groups are made up of people from the local community and the local public
and private sector. The LAGs decide which projects they will fund in their area depending on the
priorities met. They also set their own application deadlines and funding availability. To find your
local action group, click here
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3.2 EXAMPLES
Farmers Markets – supported them in everything from marketing to marquees.
Farm Shops – to attract more consumers to local business, a caravan site was developed.
Village Windmill - helped fund restoration of historic windmill for local community.
Riding School – helped fund an all-weather flood lit arena and facilities.
Website Development – helped fund local livestock farmer to develop wider customers
audience through new website.
3.3 HOW TO APPLY
The application process involves two application stages made directly to the LAG team. The initial
proposal involves outlining your business details, costs, project objectives, benefits to the area (eg
job creation) and why you require the grant funding.
If the initial application is accepted the full application involves providing information on the
following; business financial accounts, equipment quotes, market research, licences if required for
the project, photos, plans and if required architectural drawings.
4.0 OTHER CAPITAL GRANTS
There were a number of RDPE grants available earlier in the summer, and we would expect some
of these to open another application window in 2016. The grants available can be summarised as
follows;
4.1 CATCHMENT SENSITIVE FARMING
Catchment Sensitive Farming is run by Natural England in coordination with DEFRA and the
Environment Agency. It aims to raise awareness of water pollution from agriculture, on farmland
located in priority catchment areas, and advice is only available for these specific areas. The
designated catchments are those where improvements in water quality will make the maximum
contribution under the Water Framework Directive objectives.
Applications for catchment sensitive farming capital grants were tied in with Countryside
Stewardship applications from July-September. Applicants will be able to apply within next year’s
application window. We would strongly recommend that you contact your local catchment
sensitive funded facilitator for your region if you are interested in this grant funding.
8
Some examples of funding available:
(RP6) Constructed wetlands for the treatment of pollution
(RP9) Earth banks and soil bunds
(RP7) Sediment ponds and traps
(RP10) Silt filtration dams/seepage barriers
(RP16) Rainwater goods
(RP15) Concrete yard renewal
(RP28) Roofing (sprayer wash down area, manure storage area, livestock gathering area, slurry
stores, silage stores)
4.2 BOUNDARIES & HEDGES
These Capital grants are administrated by Natural England and applications can be submitted
from 1st February 2016 and must be received on or before 30 April 2016. Funding is available for
small restoration projects of hedgerows and stone walls, of up to £5,000 per applicant, with a total
of 12 capital items available.
Applications can only be made by those whose SBI (Single Business Identification) will not be in an
Environmental Stewardship, multi-year Countryside Stewardship or English Woodland Grant Scheme
agreement on 1 July 2016. Photographic evidence of capital items will be required to support
applications.
4.3 WOODLAND CREATION GRANTS
Woodland grants are now administrated by Natural England and are available for tree planting,
with the application window in February to March for planting in the autumn. The basic payment
rates are £2,750 per hectare for native trees and £2,250 for non-native trees, as well as capital
payments for tree protection and annual maintenance payments available. The proposed total
planting area must be at least 3 hectares in blocks of at least 0.5 hectares (smaller areas
acceptable if the planting is for water quality enhancement or following a tree health issue).
4.4 WOODLAND IMPROVEMENT
Support for existing woodland is available including capital items and a multi-year maintenance
option. Applicants will need to have a Forestry Commission approved Woodland Management
Plan in place. Applicants need to prove that proposals will have a positive impact on biodiversity,
water quality and flooding, and/or climate change, by meeting one or more of the following
objectives;
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- Restoring plantations on ancient woodland sites
- Enhancing priority habitats
- Enhancing priority species
- Improving resilience to climate change through continuous cover forestry (CCF)
For example reducing the percentage of coniferous species, regeneration felling to encourage
crown development, cyclical cutting to manage successional scrub, etc. Payment rate of up to
£100 per hectare.
Support is also available for improving access to woodland – eg allowing extraction of timber to
improve management of the woodland.
Examples of capital Items funded under this grant include deer fencing, deer high-seats, tree
shelters, scrub control and felling diseased trees.
Application are submitted in line with Countryside Stewardship as ‘woodland only’ high-tier
applications.
4.5 SUPPORT FOR WOODLAND MANAGEMENT PLAN
Applicants can also obtain support to develop a Woodland Management Plan using the Forestry
Commission template.
4.6 WOODLAND TREE HEALTH - RESTORATION
In the case of woodlands being affected by tree disease, funding is available for restocking of
woodland, including supply of trees, planting, weeding and protection of young trees. In addition,
funding is available for scrub and rhododendron control in woodland affected by Phytophthora
ramorum and Phytophthora kernoviae.
For both woodland management plan and woodland tree health support applications can be
made all year round by completing a form online.
4.7 COUNTRYSIDE PRODUCTIVITY
Grants are available for improvements to animal productivity, health and welfare, arable and
horticulture productivity and resource management. The grant covers up to 40% of the eligible
costs of a project, with funding available up to £1,000,000 per grant. As with previous RDPE grant
10
schemes, standard agricultural equipment and inputs cannot be funded and the costs of obtaining
consents, or costs relating to standard industry obligations are not funded.
4.8 FORESTRY INNOVATION
This new grant scheme, administered by the Forestry Commission, is designed to support the
creation of large-scale productive woodlands. The Woodland Creation Planning Grant of £150 per
hectare is available to landowners for creating a sustainable forest design plan for a new
woodland over 30 hectares, of which 70% should be productive woodland. Applications must be
submitted by 15 February 2016 with woodland plans to be completed by 31 March 2016.
4.9 AGRI-TECH GROWTH FUND
(Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Rutland, Norfolk, Suffolk and Lincolnshire only)
The Eastern Agri-tech Growth Initiative aims to improve food production, the agriculture industry
and related research and development by investing in new market, supply chain and skills
development. Grants of between £10,000 and £150,000 are available for small to medium sized
enterprises (farmers, food manufacturers and retailers) up to a maximum of 25% of the project
costs. Funding is aimed at supporting improvements in agricultural productivity through the
introduction of new products or processes and encourage improvements to existing products or
processes and energy efficiency. A key criteria is the creation of new jobs or protection of existing
jobs. Applications must be made by 31 March 2016.
4.10 SEVERN TRENT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SCHEME (STEPS)
For farms located within an Environment Agency Safe Guard Zone and within the Severn Trent
Water catchment area, grants are available for infrastructure investments and management
schemes to aid the protection of water courses from diffuse pollution. For example, funding is
available for watercourse fencing, water troughs, biobeds, roofing for slurry/manure stores,
rainwater harvesting, etc. Grants are fixed for each item, and represent approximately 50% of the
cost. STEPS will pay up to £5,000. The current funding is open 1 January 2016 – 18 March 2016.
4.11 AHDB FARMER INNOVATION GRANT
Grants are available for groups (minimum of 3) of English beef and sheep farmers who are
interested in testing or assessing an element of best-practice on farm, or implementing a piece of
new equipment/technology that will help to improve returns for their livestock enterprise. Funding of
up to £5,000 is available, aimed mainly at the provision of technical advice and support, but with
£1,000 available for equipment. Successful applicants will have to report back to AHDB about the
benefits of the system/equipment and possibly hold a farm tour. Funding for 2016 is now closed.
11
4.12 CONCLUSION
Most of these grants require provision of detailed business plans, projected profit and loss
statements and careful consideration of both the financial and intangible benefits to the farm itself
and in some cases the wider community. We have successfully applied for a number of grants for
farm business recently, and so if you are planning a project or capital investment this year it is worth
considering the availability of your eligibility for grant funding.
5.0 COUNTRYSIDE STEWARDSHIP
Countryside Stewardship replaces Entry Level Stewardship and Higher Level Stewardship schemes.
The application period for schemes commencing 1 January 2016 has now closed. The next possible
start date for agreements is therefore 1 January 2017, with the application window in summer 2016
(exact dates to be confirmed).
Natural England received fewer applications for the new scheme than expected and so there may
be more funds available for applications this year, if your existing stewardship scheme terminates
during 2016 or if you do not currently have a scheme in place we can advise you on potential
options and complete the application form and maps on your behalf. Note that there are a
number of changes from the existing Entry and Higher Level Stewardship schemes. In particular the
new schemes are competitive, meaning that options chosen for the land must meet the stated
priorities for the local area. Unlike previous schemes, Countryside Stewardship is not necessarily a
‘whole farm’ scheme, so you can choose which land to include in the scheme. In addition there
are a number of conditions that all farmers in the scheme must meet regardless of the options
chosen such as committing to not cutting hedgerows more than once every two years.
The tables below outline possible relationships with Countryside Stewardship elements and current
Environmental Stewardship and English Woodland Grant Scheme. It may be possible to
apply for Countryside Stewardship on other parcels and areas of the holding. Some possible
combinations are outlined in the following tables.
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5.1 Table 3 Outlining Potential Combinations of Grant Funding
Currently In Place Can Countryside Stewardship Elements Be Added
Environmental Stewardship
Agreement
2015 water capital grant Yes
Environmental Stewardship
Agreement
2016 onwards standalone
water grant
Yes
Environmental Stewardship
Agreement
2016 onwards Mid-Tier multi-
year agreement
No (unless it expires before Jan
2016)
EWGS 2016 onwards Mid-Tier multi-
year agreement
Yes – if it relates to different
parcel(s) on your land
2015 Water Grant 2016 Mid-Tier Multi-Year
Agreement
Yes
2015 Water Grant 2016 Hedgerows and
Boundaries
Yes
Mid-Tier Multi-year Agreement 2016 standalone water grant Yes – if it relates to different
parcel(s) on your land
5.2 Table 4 Outlining Potential Combinations of Grant Funding
Applicant has
now:
Applicant
would like:
Possible to
apply? Notes
ELS, UELS and OELS
agreements expiring
on or before 31
December 2015
Countryside
Stewardship
with a 2016
January start
Yes, most
likely Mid Tier
The agreement starts 1 January 2016
The expectation is that most holdings in
ELS, organic or uplands ELS would move to
the Mid Tier rather than Higher Tier.
ELS, UELS and OELS
agreements expiring
after 31 December
2015
HLS agreement
expiring in 2016
Countryside
Stewardship
with a
January
2016 start
Countryside
Stewardship
with a
January
2016 start
No
Only to
Higher Tier
There are some limited situations eg on
commons where UELS agreement holders
may be invited by Natural England to join
Higher Tier
HLS agreement holders will be contacted
by Natural England to discuss if their
existing agreement meets the objectives
of the new scheme and the criteria for
moving to it.
EWGS agreement
expiring in 2015
Countryside
Stewardship
Yes, (not Mid
Tier if
Woodland
management
included)
Yes, if the EWGS obligations on any
parcels submitted within the Countryside
Stewardship application have expired by
end December in the year before the
January start date.
Discuss with Forestry Commission adviser.
13
5.3 Table 5 Possible Combinations of ES/EWGS Agreements and Countryside Stewardship Capital
Grant Elements
Applicant has
now:
Applicant
would like:
Possible to
apply? Notes
ELS, OELS, UELS and
HLS, or EWGS
Hedgerow and
Boundaries grant No
Grants available if existing
scheme terminates on or before
1st July 2016
ELS, OELS, UELS and
HLS, or EWGS
Feasibility studies and
implementation plans No
These items are not available until
2016
ELS, OELS, UELS and
HLS, or EWGS
CS Woodland tree
health Yes Application period now open
ELS, OELS, UELS and
HLS, or EWGS
CS Woodland
management plan Yes Application period now open
EWGS CS Woodland
creation 2015 Possibly
Applicants can only apply on
parcels
within the estate that don’t have
an existing commitment
Application window now open.
ELS (including UELS
and OELS) and HLS
expiring after 31 Dec
2015
CS Woodland
creation 2015
Possibly –
discuss with
Forestry
Commission
and Natural
England
An amendment will be required
to remove those parcels where
woodland creation will take
place -
such an amendment may require
a
reclaim. Planting could conflict
with
the appropriate management of
some
features that had been
supported
under ELS
ELS, OELS, UELS and
HLS or EWGS
agreement
2015 water grant Yes Closed end April 2015
14
6.0 USEFUL LINKS
For further information please see the following websites:
Rural Development Growth Programme:
https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/growth-programme-grants-for-the-rural-economy
Leader:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rural-development-programme-for-england-leader-funding
Countryside Stewardship/ Woodland/ Catchment Sensitive Farming:
https://www.gov.uk/rural-development-programme-for-england