Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme Grant

The Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme (FFIS) is a national grants fund that aims to help farmers, foresters and horticultural businesses in England increase profits and reduce their impact on the environment. It is available to farmers in the North West through the RDPE Northwest Livestock Programme. (announced Nov 10th 2011)

What is Involved?

The Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme helps livestock farmers in the North West fund the recommendations of subsidised technical plans (Animal Health and Welfare Planning, Nutrient and Manure Management Planning and Resource Efficiency Audits) offered through the Livestock Programme.

This national fund is for projects that improve competitiveness and take a farm’s performance above normal farm practice. It cannot be used to help comply with statutory regulations. Grants can only be applied for if recommended as a priority in the relevant plan(s) carried out by an adviser or vet. A single application can contain recommendations from one, two or all three technical plans / audits.

The FFIS replaces the performance grants that were previously available in the North West. Access to the scheme for farmers in the North West (Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire) will be through the current RDPE North West Livestock Programme’s subsidised technical plans to help applicants meet the requirements for a successful application. 

Funds will be allocated between now and December 2013. Grants will cover a maximum of 50% of the total cost of projects in uplands areas (SDA's) and at most 40% of the total cost of projects in non uplands areas.

Under the Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme, all farmers, foresters, contractors and horticulturalists in England are invited to apply for grants of between £2,500 (the minimum for any single application) and £25,000 (the maximum allowable for each farm business).

Applicants will be assessed on their ability to meet one or more of six objectives: 1, Improve animal health and welfare 2, Reduce energy usage 3, Improve the management of manures 4, Improve soil quality 5, Improve water resource management 6, Improve use of forestry resources.

You cannot apply for a grant until you have had a plan or audit completed.

Round 2 of the Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme (FFIS) has now been launched.

Applicants are advised to read the Applicant Handbook (available below and right) very carefully as some of the conditions and eligible items have changed since Round 1.

The application form for Round 2 will be available to download from the RDPE Network site on 22 May 2012. The round will close at 5:00pm on Tuesday July 17 2012. Applications received after this date will not be processed.

How to Apply

1

Contact

Contact the relevant organisation for the plan you wish to undertake (Animal Health & Welfare – SAC, Nutrient Management/Resource Efficiency – Promar International).

2

Recommendations

The adviser that undertakes your plan will tell you if there are any recommendations which may be eligible for a grant.

3

Application Handbook

For examples of what is eligible, how to apply and what supporting information you need, read the Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme Applicant Handbook (Round 2)) 

Download the Round Two Handbook >> 

4

Application Form (not available until the round opens on May 22nd)

Download and follow the instructions on the form (which will be available below from the Defra RDPE Network website from May 22nd). Once completed, email your application to the North West RDPE Team at Penrith (email address below).

The instructions also ask that you fill in a declaration form, which is available via a black button at the bottom of the application form. This declaration must be printed off, signed and posted to the RDPE North West Delivery Team in Penrith (postal address below) along with hard copies of your supporting documentation as requested in the handbook. You do not need to print off and post the entire application form, just the declaration.

For farmers without email, please contact the RDPE North West Delivery Team for further guidance

Tel: 01768 215805  Email: rdpedeliverynorthwest@defra.gsi.gov.uk

Address: RDPE Delivery Team NW, DEFRA, c/o Environment Agency, Ghyll Mount, Gillan Way, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 9BP

 

5

Outcome

The selection process for FFIS is competitive and applications will be appraised against one another for the funds available. This means that there is no guarantee of success and not all projects which are eligible will be awarded a grant. You will be notified by letter if you have been successful or not.

You must not commit to buying any equipment which is specifically related to this grant application until an Offer Letter has been received. Grant is paid in arrears so you will need to demonstrate that you have the ability to bankroll the whole project until such point as the grant is paid to you.

It is intended that the FFIS will operate every four months until the end of 2013. However, depending on the exact closure date of the RDPE, and budget availability (largely dependent upon uptake of the FFIS) Defra are unable at this early stage in the FFIS to give an indication of when the last round will be. Potential applicants therefore need to keep in regular contact with their area RDPE Delivery Team.

The dates of future application deadlines will be shown on the following web-link: http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk/funding-sources/farm-and-forestry-improvement-scheme It is also possible that each round may have its own specific priorities and eligible items. The FFIS will change over time depending on the uptake of funds and the priorities at the time.

The above is a summary only. Please read the full guidance in the handbook. 

News Updates from the RDPE Delivery Team (North West)

Examples of Eligible Items

Nutrient and Manure Management recommendations could include funding for:

  • Roofing middens to reduce water entering manure / slurry or any work that reduces the need for extra slurry storage, such as the separation of clean and dirty water and covering dirty yard areas
  • Roofing silage pits to exclude rainwater
  • Slurry aerators / separators
  • Dribble bars / shallow injectors / trailing shoe systems for slurry tankers
  • Manure analysis equipment / GPS equipment for precision farming

Animal Health and Welfare recommendations could include funding for:

  • Specialist equipment to improve livestock performance recording and handling e.g. turning crates, EID electronic weighing crates. Upgrade of cattle crush. Standard livestock handling facilities are not eligible
  • EID technology
  • Rotating cow brushes, cluster flushing, heat detection, parlour rubber matting, grooving.
  • Incinerators and digesters for carcase disposal (uplands farms only)
  • Pigs and poultry: Needleless injectors, percussion stunners, free farrowing systems, interventions to prevent feather pecking

Resource Efficiency recommendations could include funding for:

  • Roof water recycling equipment such as tanks, pipes and filters
  • Heat recovery systems
  • Electricity efficiency devises (voltage optimisers / computer software / variable speed pumps

For further guidance on what is and isn't eligible read the handbook / contact the RDPE Delivery Team at Carlisle.

 

Who to contact

Defra Logo

For further information, or for more guidance on eligible items, contact the RDPE Delivery Team (North West).

Tel:  01768 215805

rdpedeliverynorthwest@defra.gsi.gov.uk

RDPE Delivery Team NW

DEFRA

c/o Environment Agency

Ghyll Mount

Gillan Way

Penrith

Cumbria

CA11 9BP

 

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