Our guide to the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) outlines the key information about the 2024 grant eligibility, opening and closing dates and how to get your application in. We will also outline how the FETF grant can be claimed to fund part of the cost of the supply and installation of rainwater harvesting systems. We will update this page to reflect the latest information and with the opening date of each round (last updated August 14th 2024).
If you’re in the UK farming and agriculture industry, you may be eligible to receive the Farming Equipment & Technology Fund (FETF). It is a 3-part government grant scheme that funds up to £50,000 to:
- improve productivity
- manage slurry
- improve animal health and welfare
The grant assists in the cost of buying new technology and equipment from an approved list of items. Once the grant application information is released each year, the list of available items is also released and applications open soon after.
We are pleased to see that one of the many productivity improvement items that can be funded with the grant is rainwater harvesting!
When Do Applications Open for The FETF 2024?
Applications for the 1st round of the FETF 2024 grant have now closed.
There are 3 rounds throughout the year and applications for round 1 were open from 6th March 2024 to 17th April 2024.
Note: We have not received news of round 2 opening, which was expected in July. We will update this page as soon as updates become available. Please see our grants page for more information on current rainwater harvesting grants.
For those who had successful applications for the 1st round, grant payments must be claimed by midday on 10th January 2025.
We are currently taking bookings for grant-funded rainwater harvesting systems.
Who Is Eligible for the 2024 FETF Grant?
The Farming Equipment & Technology Fund grant is open to all farmers, horticulturists, contractors and foresters in England.
The grants are administered by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) on behalf of the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
Whilst applications are competitive, the budget for the FETF 2024 has increased and new eligible items have also been added. This year there is £70m available for productivity grants, £105m for slurry management grants and £20m for animal health and welfare grants.
Additionally, the maximum grant amounts have also increased this year.
How Much Are the Grants Worth?
The maximum amount of grant that can be claimed for items that increase productivity or manage slurry in 2024 is £50,000.
This amount has doubled since 2023, when the maximum productivity or slurry grant was £25,000.
The maximum amount of grant that can be claimed for improving animal welfare is £25,000, which is the same as the previous year of 2023.
The amount of grant you will receive will be either 50% and 60% of the cost of the item/s or the expected average cost, whichever is lower.
In no situation or circumstance will any amount higher than the averag expected cost be paid out.
As an example, for rainwater harvesting tanks, you can apply for a grant covering from 50% up to 60% of the costs, which will be of the cost of the items or of the expected cost of the items, whichever is lower.
Is There A Minimum Amount?
There is indeed a minimum amount of grant that can be applied for. The minimum amount is £1000 for all 3 types, whether improving productivity, managing slurry or improving animal health and welfare.
Can You Apply For More Than One Grant?
You may apply for one grant from each section, meaning grants of up to £125,000 can be used to contribute towards the purchase of new equipment and technology.
How To Apply For The FETF 2024
Check your planned work is part of the list of eligible items (detailed below) and apply via the Gov website.
You can start your application here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-2024/apply-for-the-farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-fetf-2024
Eligible Items for Improving Productivity
For the FETF 2024 grant, there are now 85 eligible items to increase productivity. You can apply for a grant of up to £50,000 for any number of items from the list.
Some of the most popular eligible items to increase productivity include:
- Automatic tree planters
- Solar-powered water pumps
- Crop spraying drones to whitewash greenhouse roofs
- Forestry harvester with debarking head
- Robotic drill and guided hoe
- Camera-guided inter-row sprayers
- Robotic silage pushers
The full list of productivity improvement items can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-2024/productivity-items-and-specifications-farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-fetf-2024
Applications for productivity items are scored on:
The benefit to productivity
The benefit to the environment
The level of adoption by the industry
Eligible Items for Managing Slurry
For 2024 there are now a total of 17 different eligible items to manage slurry. The grant aims to help farmers improve the collection and spreading of slurry by contributing towards the cost of new slurry equipment and technology.
Up to £25,000 can be claimed against the cost of any of the eligible slurry items on the list.
Some of these include:
Robotic slurry collectors
Low-emission slurry spreaders
Flow rate monitoring equipment
By popular demand from farmers, the eligibility for slurry separators has been increased to allow screw press, screen press and mobile separators.
Applications for slurry equipment grants will be scored on:
- Level of improvement to slurry management
- The environmental benefit
- The level of adoption in the industry
The full list of slurry management items can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-2024/slurry-items-and-specifications-farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-fetf-2024
Eligible Items For Improving Animal Health & Welfare
The FETF for improving animal health and welfare is available to all commercial farmers who have cattle, pigs, sheep and dairy farms, as well as layer and broiler chicken farmers.
There are 130 eligible items to improve animal health and welfare available in 2024.
The government has worked closely with farmers and industry specialists as well as academics and vets to increase accessibility to items which not only improve the health and welfare of farm animals but also respond to common livestock challenges such as biosecurity and heat stress.
Some popular eligible animal welfare items include:
- Mobile sheep dips
- Sheep conveyor
- Automatic milk feeders for lambs
- Automated foot baths for sheep
- Water bowsers with integrated trough
- Mobile livestock shades
Those applying for a grant to increase animal health and welfare are strongly encouraged to discuss their application with their vets. Not only will they be able to recommend the best equipment for you, but this year your application score can be increased by 20% if you can provide evidence that your application has been discussed with a vet.
Applications for improving animal health and welfare grants will be scored on how much they will contribute towards the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway priorities.
The full list of animal health and welfare items can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-2024/animal-health-and-welfare-items-and-specifications-farming-equipment-and-technology-fund-fetf-2024
Can The FETF Be Used For Rainwater Harvesting Systems?
The FETF grant can indeed be used for rainwater harvesting systems. There are two rainwater harvesting grants available for minimum sizes 5000L and 50,000L and they can be used to fund 60% of the cost of a rainwater harvesting system.
Rainwater harvesting tends to score quite well as it increases productivity, benefits the environment, and is widely adopted in the farming industry.
As rainwater harvesting specialists, we take on a lot of grant work and are happy to work with those receiving the FETF grant.
We can supply and install the full range of Endurmaxx rainwater harvesting tanks throughout the South West whilst we can also supply the tanks UK-wide along with all the parts including rainwater pumps and filters.
We are happy to carry out site visits whilst applications are being made to get a good idea of harvesting potential and ease of installation, or do feel free to email us photos if you would just like to get the ball rolling!
Applications can be made directly through the Gov website below or your land agent.
How FETF Grant Applications Work
1. Before applying for the grant, applicants must register with the Rural Payments Service:
2. An application can then be made on the RPA Portal: https://rpagrants.org.uk/welcome/
Once the item(s) are applied for via the online portal, the RPA checks for eligibility by scoring the application.
If the application is successful, the applicant is notified by email with a formal Grant Funding Agreement (GFA).
Important Things To Note:
There are a few important things to note when applying for and claiming the FETF 24 grant:
1. Ensure Item/s Meets Grant Specifications
The Grant Funding Agreement (GFA) needs to be carefully followed to ensure items purchased meet the specifications detailed.
2. Funds are claimed once the items have been purchased and installed
Once the items have been purchased and installed, a single claim can be submitted for the funds set out in the GFA.
3. Evidence to support your claim must be submitted
Supporting evidence (invoices/pictures) set out in the GFA needs to be submitted for the payment claim to be successful.
4. Purchased items must be kept at the location for a minimum of 5 years
The grant-funded items need to remain at the location stated in the GFA in good repair for five years from the date the claim is paid.
5. Purchase and Installation must be completed by a deadline
There is a deadline to apply and a deadline set out in the GFA to purchase and install equipment and claim the payment.
6. Items must be new, owned and not hand-built
Items must not have already been purchased and cannot be second-hand, ex-demonstration, hand-built, leased or hire-purchased.
Note:
It is also important to consider that in some cases, additional work may need to be carried out that was not anticipated at the time of application.
This can cause issues as the applicant may not know that their grant will be accepted resulting in a mad dash to complete the work and payment application in the required timeframes and by the deadline set out in the GFA.
Careful choice when applying is critical and speaking to suppliers and installers to ensure equipment is likely to be available and installed when needed.
Are There Other Agriculture & Farming Grants Available?
There are many more government grants and funding schemes available as well as some regional grants throughout the UK.
The FETF is part of the Farming Investment Fund (FIF) which includes 5 different grant schemes available for those in the farming and agriculture industry. In 2021, the FIF replaced the Countryside Productivity Grant.
For 2024 the Farming Investment Fund (FIF) includes the following 5 grants:
- Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) (Grants between £1000-£25000)
- Water Management (Grants between £35,000 and £500,000)
- Slurry Infrastructure Grant (Grants between £25,000 and £250,000)
- Adding Value Grant (Grants between £25,000 and £300,000)
- Calf Housing for Health and Welfare Grant (Grants between £15,000 and £500,000)
Note: In 2023 there were two parts; the Farming Equipment & Technology Fund and the Farming Transformation Fund. However the second part, the Farming Transformation Fund has now been split into 4 separate grants.
Since BREXIT, agriculture funding has been transitioning from the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) to government grant schemes. The BPS operated in the European Union and was paid to landowners and farmers based on the amount of land they farmed.
Looking To Fund A Rainwater Harvesting System With The FETF 2024?
If you are looking to fund a new rainwater harvesting system with the 2024 FETF grant, then we can help with both the supply (and/or installation if you are based in the South West) of your rainwater tanks. We're official stockists of Enduramaxx tanks and we have a selection of rainwater harvesting kits that are eligible grant items.
Some of these include:
If you are applying for the grant this year and would like any help and advice on which tank to choose, our team are happy to help, just drop us a message or give us a call today!
Looking to Fund The Costs Of A Water Bowser With The FETF 2024?
If you are looking to purchase a water bowser with an integrated trough and use the FETF 2024 to cover part of the costs, we can also help supply you with a compliant model that meets the specifications. Just get in touch and we will be happy to advise!