Water Sensitive Farming Initiative – Free advice and capital grants available for the implementation of soil and water focused-solutions including cover crops, buffer strips, controlled cattle crossing points and riparian livestock fencing, wetlands, sediment traps, ditching and cross drains.
Countryside Stewardship – Funding for farmers, woodland owners, foresters and land managers to make environmental improvements.
- Mid Tier – Offers options, supplements and capital items to achieve simple and effective environmental benefits. Capital items for improving water quality are also available through Mid Tier.
- Higher Tier – Covers the more environmentally significant sites, commons and woodlands. The options, supplements and capital items available are more complex than Mid Tier due to the needs of these sites.
- Wildlife Offers – Payments are available to support farm businesses in meeting the needs of wildlife. Opportunities include the buffering of in-field ponds and ditches and the protection of water courses.
- Capital Grants – Capital agreements are made up of just capital items and last for 2 years. They are available when the application window is open and include: hedgerows and boundaries, woodland support, fencing, constructed wetlands and restoration of large water bodies.
- Woodland Creation – Provides funding for the development and management of new woodlands. These are available year round.
- Facilitation Fund – Groups of farmers and landowners can apply for funding to deliver large-scale environmental improvement in their area over the next three years. Improvements could include natural flood prevention, enhancing wildlife habitats or planting more trees. Case study examples here. The funding is for a person or organisation (facilitator) to help a group of farmers and other land managers work together to:
- Improve the natural environment at a landscape rather than single-farm scale.
- Achieve greater improvements than individual holdings could on their own.
Woodland Trust – Provides tailored advice, grants and funding for large-scale tree planting. Two additional schemes have been launched including:
- MOREwoods project – for farmers and landowners that would like to plant shelterbelts or harvest their own wood fuel. Funding for this project supports the design and selection of an appropriate species’ mix, and also includes various options for assisting with establishment and maintenance costs.
- MOREhedges project – provides funding for the planting of new hedgerows, subsidising up to 75% of the cost.
The Morley Agricultural Foundation – A registered charity which specifically supports farming and agricultural research in the East of England, providing funding in two main areas:
- Research Grants towards projects in agreed areas of arable farming research.
- Educational Grants in support of further education studies in approved areas of arable crop production.
Countryside Productivity Scheme – The RDPE Countryside Productivity Scheme provides funding for projects in England that improve productivity in the farming and forestry sectors, and help create jobs and growth in the rural economy. Grants are available for various projects including:
- Water resource management and reservoirs.
- Improving forestry productivity.
- Improving farm productivity.
- Adding value to Agri-food.
- Small grants – provides funding for farmers to purchase equipment to improve the productivity of their farm such as technical efficiency, resource efficiency and nutrient management. The scheme is different to other parts of the Countryside Productivity scheme as it uses an online application process and is targeted at supporting investment for specific pieces of agricultural equipment.
Cambridge Water Pebble Fund – Funding of up to £10,000 is available for community projects within Cambridge Water’s supply area that create, restore or improve habitat. Previous projects have included pond creation/restoration, tree planting and river restoration. Application window is 1 May – 31 July 2020.
Essex and Suffolk Water’s Branch Out scheme – Offers grants of up to £25,000 to projects which benefit the natural environment, wildlife and local communities within the Essex and Suffolk Water operating area. Deadline is 30 March 2020.
- Funding for agri-tech developments.
- Funding for initiatives that help farmers and land managers to deliver resilience by adjusting and preparing for long-term agricultural sector changes. Deadline is 20 October 2019.
