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The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2024 includes 3 grants to help you buy items to:听听

• improve productivity听听
• manage slurry听
• improve animal health and welfare听听

You can apply for more than one grant, for items that suit your鈥痓usiness.听听

FETF 2024 is competitive. You may not receive any, or all of the funding you apply for.听

Successful applicants will receive:听

• a minimum of 拢1,000 and a maximum of 拢50,000 towards productivity items 听
• a minimum of 拢1,000 and a maximum of 拢50,000 towards slurry items听听
• a minimum of 拢1,000 and a maximum of 拢25,000 towards animal health and welfare items

Check you鈥檙e eligible

You can apply for a grant if your business is based and registered in England and you鈥檙e a:听

• farmer听
• horticulturalist听
• forestry owner听
• contractor carrying out services to farmers, horticulturalists or forestry owners听

You may be eligible to apply if you鈥檝e received money from previous FETF grants or the Countryside Productivity Scheme (CPSG).听

The FETF Animal Health and Welfare grant is only available if you farm any of the following:听听听

• beef cattle听
• dairy cattle听
• sheep听
• pigs听
• laying chickens (including rearing and breeding farms)听听
• broiler chickens (including rearing and breeding farms)

Other types of livestock and poultry, including goats, ducks, turkeys, geese and gamebirds, are not eligible for funding.

Lump Sum Exit Scheme applicants听

You鈥檙e not eligible for FETF if you choose to leave farming through the Lump Sum Exit Scheme. 听

If you鈥檙e a farmer who has been paid a lump sum but are continuing as a contractor, you can apply for FETF.听听

Who cannot apply听

Government departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies (for example, the Ministry of Defence or the Forestry Commission) cannot apply for a grant.

Items you can apply for听

You can apply for items from the productivity, slurry and animal health and welfare items and specifications lists.听听

All items must be new items and must meet the relevant specifications in each list.听听

You can buy an item with a higher specification, but you cannot buy items that do not meet the minimum specification. For example, you can buy a 12 metre (m) drill if the minimum specification is listed as 6m, as long as all other criteria for the item are met.听听听

If the piece of equipment meets 2 or more specifications, you can only apply for funding for one item. For example, if you want to buy a yield monitoring device, which also has variable rate control functionality, you could apply for either a yield monitoring or variable rate controller item, not both.听听

You can apply for funding for similar items to those funded through other schemes, but not the same item. For example, if you鈥檝e received funding towards the cost of a building through another scheme, you could still apply for a FETF grant to buy machinery to put in the building. 听

You can apply for the same item that you鈥檝e applied for under previous FETF grants. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will ask you to explain this. You must keep items that have been funded by FETF grants for 5 years from the date your claim was paid.

Items you cannot apply for听听

You cannot apply for a grant for:听听

• items that are bought using part exchange
• second hand, ex-demonstration and 鈥榯ry before you buy鈥� items听听
• items that are bought on hire purchase or on lease
• items you鈥檝e already bought听
• items you鈥檝e already received or intend to receive through a different scheme, for example the Farming Transformation Fund (FTF), Countryside Stewardship (CS), and the Fruit and Vegetables Aid Scheme听听
• home built items听听
• items from a supplier or manufacturer who you or your business are part of or linked to in any way听
• items that are not listed, or do not meet the minimum specification听听
• replacement items covered by an insurance claim 听
• an item鈥檚 delivery or installation costs听

How much money you鈥檒l receive

The RPA has calculated an expected average cost for each item, based on costs from a cross-section of suppliers. 听听

The RPA will pay you a grant amount of 50% or 60% towards either:听

• 听the average cost of the item 鈥� if an item costs you the same or more than the expected average cost in the item lists听
• 听the actual cost you pay for the item 鈥� if an item costs you less than the expected average cost in the item lists 听

You can check an item鈥檚 expected average cost and grant amount in the item and specification lists.听

If your application is successful, you鈥檒l receive a grant of:听听

• a minimum of 拢1,000 and a maximum of 拢50,000 towards productivity items听听
• a minimum of 拢1,000 and a maximum of 拢50,000 towards slurry items听
• a minimum of 拢1,000 and a maximum of 拢25,000 towards animal health and welfare items 听

The grant contribution does not cover the total cost of each item. It鈥檚 your responsibility to fund the remaining cost.

Grants of over 拢25,000

If you apply for a grant of over 拢25,000, you鈥檒l need to provide evidence which shows you can cover the total cost of each item, for example:

• an email or letter from your bank or building society
• a bank or building society statement dated within the last year
• evidence of a loan (this can be a personal or private loan)

The RPA will also ask you to send supporting information or documents appropriate to your business including either:

• financial accounts for the most recent 3 years of trading
• latest tax returns, management accounts or a statement of income and expenses from an accountant (if you are a new business or self-employed)

The RPA will use this evidence to assess:

• how you will cover the cost of each item until the grant is claimed
• the current financial viability of your business

How funding is allocated听

The RPA will allocate funding after all applications within each grant application window have been received and scored. 听

Funding for each of the 3 grants will be allocated starting with the highest scoring applications until it is fully allocated. This will set the minimum threshold for the application window.

When you can apply听听

You can apply for FETF 2024 through the Farming Investment Fund service. The service is now closed for applications.

The first application window for productivity and slurry items closed at midday on 17 April 2024.

The first application window for animal health and welfare items closed at midday on 1 May 2024.

We will update this page if further funding becomes available.

How to apply 听

Follow these steps to apply for FETF:听

1. Check the specification of the items you want to apply for in the 2024 items and specifications lists 鈥� specifications may have changed from previous FETF item lists.听

2. Check the availability of the items you want to apply for with your supplier. 听听

3. Do not order or buy anything at this stage, unless you are paying with a refundable deposit.听The RPA will reject your claim if you do not meet these conditions.

4. Register with the Rural Payments service.听

5. Check your business details in the Rural Payments service are correct or update your email address or contact details. Your personal record on Rural Payments must have a permission level of either 鈥榤ake legal changes鈥� or 鈥榝ull permissions鈥� for the business you are applying for.听听

6. Read the FETF 2024 terms and conditions.听听听

7. Register and login to the Farming Investment Fund service to submit your application by the application deadlines (this is separate to the Rural Payments service and requires you to complete a new registration). If you want to apply for more than one grant, you鈥檒l need to submit separate applications. The service is an online system where you鈥檒l need to complete questions about yourself and your business. Your details must match those in the Rural Payments service. Your application should take around 20 minutes to complete.

8. You鈥檒l receive an acknowledgement email within 24 hours of applying 鈥� you may need to check your junk folder for emails about your application.听听

Your application will be checked for eligibility and scored by the RPA.听

If your application is unsuccessful, the RPA will write to you to tell you why.听

If your application is successful, the RPA will send you a GFA. GFAs for each grant will be sent separately.听听

Use the to accept your GFA by the deadline set out in your GFA email. You鈥檒l need to select each grant to accept each GFA.听

It鈥檚 important that you read and understand the steps you鈥檒l need to follow to claim your FETF 2024 grant payment.

Refundable deposits听

To help reduce possible supply issues, a supplier or manufacturer may agree to reserve your item if you pay a refundable deposit. The deposit must be for no more than 50% of the item cost.听听听

You must not put down a refundable deposit before the 20 February 2024.听听听听

Invoices must be marked by your supplier to show you used a refundable deposit to buy the item.听听听

The RPA will reject your claim if you do not meet these conditions.

Animal Health and Welfare grant: evidence of vet advice听

If you鈥檙e applying for an Animal Health and Welfare grant, you can increase your application score by providing evidence that you鈥檝e discussed your application with a vet.听

You can get vet advice by telephone, email, or as part of a vet visit. You may be eligible to apply for a fully funded vet visit as part of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) annual health and welfare review.听听听

You must receive advice on your application after 1 January 2024 and before 1 January 2025 for it to be eligible for the increase. 听听

You鈥檒l need to provide your vet鈥檚 details, the date of the discussion and permission for us to contact your vet when you apply.

Changing or withdrawing your application听

You can save and make changes to your application before you submit it, using the . 听

Make sure that your application is complete before you submit it.

You cannot change your application after you鈥檝e submitted it.

If you need to withdraw your application after you鈥檝e submitted it, email [email protected]. Include your FETF reference number.

If you withdraw your application, you cannot submit another application until a new application window is open.

Published data on successful applications

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is legally required to publish data about grants made for productivity and slurry items. 听

Defra will publish the following information about your grant on a searchable database on 188体育:听听

• your business name听
• part of your business address (the post town and first four digits of the postcode)听
• the amount received and a description of the funded activities听

Defra is not required to publish this data for animal health and welfare items and will publish aggregated data only.