How to apply for a veranda-only project as part of the Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare grant round 1 (invited applicants)
Updated 22 January 2025
Applies to England
Only invited applicants can apply for round 1 of the Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare grant.
Find out about other grants and funds.
The application process for the grant has 2 stages:
- Stage 1: online checker
- Stage 2: full application
1. Stage 1: online checker
The online checker closed at 11.59pm on 18 September 2024. No new applications can be accepted for this grant.
The online checker was used to make an initial online application.聽聽
This service allowed you to check:
- if you were eligible to apply for a grant for your project
- if your project met the minimum specifications
We will invite eligible applicants who completed the online checker, on a first-come first-serve basis, to make a full application.
If you applied for both a comprehensive project and a veranda-only project, only one of your applications can proceed. If your comprehensive project is successful, we will invite you to make a full application for your comprehensive project. This will be instead of your veranda-only project. If we do not invite you to make a full application for your comprehensive project, we will still progress your veranda-only project.
2. Stage 2: full application
If you鈥檙e eligible to apply, and you submit your Stage 1 application before all of the veranda-only budget is allocated, we鈥檒l invite you to make a full application and send you the application form.
You will need to fill in the full application form and email this, with your supporting documents, to the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) at FTF@rpa.gov.uk.
You must email your application and all supporting documents before 11.59pm on 28 April 2026.
2.1 What you鈥檒l need for your full application form 聽
You will need to provide more details about your project.
Use the:
- same project that you used in your Stage 1:聽online application
- project number provided by聽RPA聽in your invitation to apply for a full application
We know that some minor project details may change after you complete the online checker, such as changes to project costs as they are finalised. However, the main details of your project should not be significantly different to your online application.
If you need to discuss significant changes to your project, you鈥檒l need to 肠辞苍迟补肠迟听RPA聽by email聽before you submit your full application. If the full application is significantly different, the application may be rejected.
2.2. What information you need to provide at full application
The full application form is an Excel spreadsheet.
You鈥檒l need to provide:
- information about you, your business and project
- evidence聽to show that your business is an egg producing or pullet rearing business with 1000+ birds
- a breakdown of project costs
- supplier details
- an explanation of how the project will be funded
- scale plans showing the building design and layout
- the number of birds housed within the housing聽聽聽
2.3 Other supporting documents
You will need to provide the following supporting documents:
- a copy of a signed and dated tenancy agreement with the owners of the land or buildings at the project location, if the applicant business does not own them
- a letter from your landlord underwriting the application, if using this option
- 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 have been trading for less than 2 years
- one quote, or reference to a catalogue listing (including online suppliers) for any item valued up to 拢4,999.99
- 3 quotes, references to catalogue listings or formal tenders for each item valued from 拢5,000 to 拢50,000
- 3 quotes or formal competitive tenders for each item valued over 拢50,000
- evidence of availability of your project funding
- evidence where you are eligible to, and intend to, include irrecoverable VAT in your project costs (such as a letter from a Chartered Accountant or HMRC confirming you are not able to recover VAT from HMRC)
- planning permission approval (where applicable) - when applying for planning permission, please state in your application that your project is being submitted as part of the Defra Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare grant
- other relevant permissions and consents (where applicable) 鈥� this may require you to apply for a new or update your existing environmental permit if you have more than 40,000 places for poultry
If your site currently has more than 40,000 bird places and your project will include changes to the permitted activity (for example, housing system, bird numbers or manure management), you will need to apply for an environmental permit variation.
You can use the Environment Agency鈥檚 pre-application advice service to make sure your permit application is correct.
3. How your application is assessed
At the full application stage, we will check to make sure that:
- you and your project are still eligible
- the veranda meets the minimum specifications for the grant
- appropriate planning consents and permissions are in place
- costs are eligible, represent best value for money and are supported by the required number of quotes
- your business is financially viable
- you can fund the project until the grant is claimed
4. When you鈥檒l find out if you鈥檙e successful
We aim to give you a decision on your application within 60 working days聽 from receipt of a complete full application.
If you are offered a grant,聽we聽will send a grant funding agreement (GFA) for you to sign and return. This will set out the legal terms and conditions of the grant, including the:
- amount of the grant
- outputs we have agreed for your project
- information we require during the project for monitoring and evaluation activities
If you need to change anything in the聽GFA聽over the course of the project, you must get written agreement from聽RPA聽first. If you do not,聽we聽could end your agreement and reclaim any grant we have already paid. You鈥檒l get more information and help with this if you are offered a grant.
5. If your application is unsuccessful
If your application is unsuccessful,聽we聽will write to you to tell you why. If you鈥檙e unhappy with the decision, you can聽follow our complaints procedure. If you remain unhappy with our decision, you may be able to appeal.
6. Contact RPA
Contact the Farming Transformation Fund (FTF) team at聽RPA聽if you have any questions about your application.
贰尘补颈濒:听FTF@rpa.gov.uk
Telephone: 0300 0200 301 and follow options for the Farming Transformation Fund scheme.
Post:
Farming Transformation Fund
Grants Service
Rural Payments Agency
Sterling House
Dix鈥檚 Field
Exeter
EX1 1QA