Are you making the most of the grant funding available to your business?
Even with Brexit on the horizon there are plenty of grants available to Farmers and land owners. If you have a project in the pipeline you might be able to gain up to 40% funding of your project eligible costs. The other great news is that not all grants require match funding, capital grants of 100% of the project cost are a great way to get some much needed improvements taken care off, despite continuing pressure on cashflows and the bottom line of many farm businesses.
Let’s also not forget the Mid Tier and Higher Tier Stewardship Schemes which the government has promised honour post Brexit. These encourage good environmental practice on farms and will make a yearly payment to help you achieve this, lets face it you are already most probably doing some of these practices already so why not get paid for it?
Don’t let your business miss out on funding through latency, give us a call and see if we can help…
The RDPE Countryside Productivity Scheme
(over £35,000 grant aid – up to 40% project costs)
water resource management and reservoirs
improving forestry productivity
adding value to Agri-food
improving farm productivity
In the case of improving farm productivity, grants are available in the following areas:
the use of robotic equipment to aid crop and livestock production
increasing the use of renewable energy produced on farm by improving energy storage and distribution
the use of LED wavelength-controlled lighting to aid crop production
more efficient use of livestock slurries and manures, and digestate
The above funding closes for applications on the 3rd December 2018.
LEADER Grants
(less than £35,000 grant aid - up to 40% of project costs)
support micro and small businesses and farm diversification
boost rural tourism
increase farm productivity
increase forestry productivity
provide rural services
provide cultural and heritage activities
These grants are agreed every 3 months from a pot of £138 million, they are competitive and on a first come first served basis, when it’s gone it’s gone! These grants have been used to establish milk vending machines and other smaller projects to help boost farm income and help to keep small business viable helping to insulate against world market forces.
Other Grants
Other grants are currently available to rural communities through the RDPE Growth Programme “to create jobs and growth in the rural community”. These can be used by farmers for non-agricultural projects in business development, food processing and tourism.
This programme closes for initial applications soon (31st May 2018).
Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants
You do not need to have a Mid Tier or Higher Tier stewardship agreement to access the capital grants, although having one will enhance your chances of success. Capital grants are available for the following items although this is only an example:
stone bank repair
hedge laying
hedge coppicing
stone wall restoration
hard bases for livestock feeders and drinking areas
pasture pumps
gateways improvements
concrete yard repairs
pond management
Capitals grants are competitive and dependant on your location and of locally identified areas of importance. They pay a set amount per unit, normally at a relatively generous rate.
Mid Tier and Higher Tier Stewardship
Countryside Stewardship (CS) provides financial incentives for land managers to look after their environment through activities such as:
conserving and restoring wildlife habitats
flood risk management
woodland creation and management
reducing widespread water pollution from agriculture
keeping the character of the countryside
preserving features important to the history of the rural landscape
encouraging educational access
We will come and meet you, go through possible options, put together an application and guide you through how you fulfil your agreement. These are a great way to get paid for doing a good job for the environment and to access grant money which is yours to claim.