Farm grants in Sefton

Farm schemes and payments 11

• Hot and dry weather: temporary support for farmers in 2026 OpenDefra / RPALets you cut or graze agreement land, make firebreaks and delay sowing during drought without losing SFI, CS or HLS payments.
• Capital grants plans 2026 (PA1, PA2, PA4, PA5, PA7) Open all yearDefra / RPAPays for professional plans: implementation plan (PA1), feasibility study (PA2), agroforestry plan (PA4), moorland mapping (PA5) and species management plan (PA7).
• Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) Open all yearDefra / Natural England / Forestry Commission / RPALong-term agreement for complex habitat and nature work; at the moment you can only ask to join (express an interest) for four topics.
• Higher Tier Capital Grants 2026 Open all yearDefra / RPAThree-year capital grants for environmental works (including agroforestry and woodland condition assessment) without needing a full Higher Tier agreement.
• Protection and Infrastructure grants 2026 Open all yearDefra / RPAGrants for woodland access tracks and for protecting crops and trees from beavers.
• Sustainable Farming Incentive 2027 offer Coming soonDefra / RPAThe next SFI offer the government says it will run in 2027.
• Delinked payments (replacing Basic Payment Scheme) AutomaticDefra / RPAYearly payment, based on your old BPS, being phased out by 2027.
• Capital Grants 2026 ClosedDefra / RPA · Closes 1 September 2026Grants for one-off items such as hedges, gates, water troughs, yard covers and natural flood management, under six themes.
• Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier (existing agreements) ClosedDefra / RPA · Closes 31 December 2026Older 5-year agri-environment agreements; 2021 agreements were extended by one year.
• Emergency Drought Grant 2026 ClosedRABIOne-off grant for household living costs for farmers hit by the 2026 drought.
• Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) ClosedDefra / RPA · Closes 22 September 2026Three-year agreement paying you for farming actions that help the environment, such as soil cover, hedgerows and nature-friendly margins.

Animals and animal health 5

• Forage Aid Open all yearAddington FundEmergency feed, forage and bedding for livestock farmers after disease outbreaks or extreme weather.
• Get funding to improve animal health and welfare (vet reviews and endemic disease follow-ups) Open all yearDefra / RPAPays for a vet to visit once a year to review herd/flock health, and for a follow-up to test and tackle a disease such as BVD.
• Poultry Biosecurity Review funding Open all yearDefra / RPA · Closes 30 September 2028Pays for a vet to review biosecurity on your poultry site.
• Bovine TB compensation AutomaticDefra / APHAPayment for cattle the government removes because of TB, based on monthly average market values.
• Compensation for animals culled to control notifiable diseases AutomaticDefra / APHAPayment for healthy animals the government culls to control diseases such as bird flu, Newcastle disease and salmonella in breeding flocks.

Water, rivers and soil 7

• Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) Open all yearNatural England with Defra and Environment AgencyConfidential one-to-one advice on soil, nutrients, manure, ammonia, pesticides and water, and help with capital grant applications.
• Environment Agency landscape-scale natural flood management (NFM) funding Open all yearEnvironment AgencyFlood defence money for large natural flood management projects such as leaky dams, ponds and wetlands across a catchment.
• Local Rivers Trust farm advice Open all yearThe Rivers Trust (60+ local member trusts)Local Rivers Trusts give free farm advice and often deliver water company and other grants for river and soil work.
• Water Management Grant (new round) Coming soonDefra / RPAGrants to build on-farm reservoirs and water storage for irrigation, mainly for horticulture and arable farms.
• Farming Recovery Fund (flood recovery) ClosedDefra / RPAGrants for uninsurable flood damage to farmland, opened only after major floods.
• Lowland Peat Water Discovery and Implementation Grants ClosedEnvironment Agency · Closes 18 September 2026Grants for partnerships to plan and then carry out raising water tables on lowland peat.
• Slurry Infrastructure Grant (round 2) ClosedDefra / RPAGrants for new or bigger slurry stores to give 6 months' storage.

Peat and wetland 2

• Nature for Climate Peatland Grant Scheme ClosedDefra / Natural EnglandFunding for peatland restoration and discovery (project scoping) work.
• Paludiculture and Wetter Farming Fund ClosedNatural England · Closes 21 August 2026Funding to test wet-farming crops and food production on wetter lowland peat.

Hedges 1

• MOREhedges Open all yearWoodland TrustTrees, protection and advice for new hedges of 100 metres or more with a large tree every six metres.

Trees and woodland 15

• Trees Outside Woodland Fund 2026/27 OpenThe Tree Council (with Defra) · Closes 31 October 2026Grants for trees and supporting items outside woodland, such as hedgerow trees, orchards and green spaces.
• Trees for your farm (agroforestry) OpenWoodland TrustFunded agroforestry with a farm visit and a tailored design for shelter, soil and water.
• England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) Open all yearForestry CommissionPays to plant new woodland, plus yearly maintenance and extra one-off payments for public benefits.
• MOREwoods Open all yearWoodland TrustSite visit, woodland design, trees and protection, and funding for new woodland of at least half a hectare.
• National Forest tree planting and habitat grants Open all yearNational Forest CompanyGrants and advice to plant woodland from 0.25 ha up to landscape scale, and to manage woodland and farmland habitats.
• PA3 Woodland management plan 2026 Open all yearForestry Commission / RPAOne-off payment towards writing a 10-year woodland management plan that meets the UK Forestry Standard.
• Tree health pilot scheme Open all yearForestry CommissionPilot grants for felling and restocking trees hit by pests and diseases: larch, spruce, sweet chestnut, oak processionary moth and ash dieback.
• Woodland Creation Planning Grant (WCPG) Open all yearForestry CommissionPays for the surveys and design work to plan a new woodland that meets the UK Forestry Standard.
• Woodland Tree Health (WTH) grants 2026 Open all yearForestry Commission / RPAPays to replant woodland felled because of tree disease (Restoration) and to remove trees and rhododendron infected with Phytophthora (Improvement).
• I Dig Trees Check it’s runningThe Conservation Volunteers (TCV)Free tree and hedge packs, with protection if needed, for community planting.
• MOREwoods trial packs Check it’s runningWoodland TrustFree packs of 50 trees to try new ideas on your land.
• National Highways Community Trees Programme Check it’s runningThe Tree Council (funded by National Highways)Free UK-grown trees for larger community planting projects in England.
• Branching Out Fund 2026/27 ClosedThe Tree Council · Closes 19 July 2026Small grants for community tree, hedge and orchard planting.
• Emergency Tree Fund ClosedWoodland TrustFunding for local councils to plant trees after declaring climate emergencies.
• Tree Production Capital Grant (TPCG) ClosedForestry Commission · Closes 8 July 2026Grants for tree nurseries and seed suppliers to buy equipment and facilities.

Wildlife and protected landscapes 5

• Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) Open all yearDefra, run by National Park and National Landscape bodies · Closes 31 March 2029One-off project grants for nature, climate, people and place work on farms in or next to protected landscapes.
• Wildlife Trust land management advice Open all yearThe Wildlife Trusts (46 local trusts)Local Wildlife Trust advisers give whole-farm wildlife advice, help with grant applications and set up farmer clusters.
• Wildlife-Rich Habitat Fund Open all yearDefra, through FiPL and protected landscape bodies · Closes 31 March 2029Money to create and restore wildlife habitat in protected landscapes, delivered through the FiPL setup.
• Landscape Recovery ClosedDefra / Natural England / Environment AgencyLong-term funding for large, joined-up nature recovery projects across many landholdings.
• Species Recovery Programme / Species Survival Fund ClosedNatural England / Defra · Closes 27 February 2026Funding for projects to recover threatened species.

Old buildings and heritage 2

• National Lottery Heritage Grants £10,000 to £250,000 Open all yearNational Lottery Heritage FundGrants for projects that look after heritage, including landscapes and nature, and open it up to the public.
• Historic England grants (Heritage at Risk Capital Fund, Places grants) and CS Heritage Service ClosedHistoric England · Closes 30 October 2026Grants to repair heritage at risk, including scheduled monuments and historic buildings, plus free advice for farmers applying to Countryside Stewardship.

Energy 2

• Boiler Upgrade Scheme Open all yearOfgem (UK government)Grant towards replacing oil, gas, LPG or electric heating with a heat pump or biomass boiler in a home or business building.
• Smart Export Guarantee Open all yearElectricity suppliers (SEG Licensees), overseen by OfgemElectricity suppliers pay you for spare electricity from solar, wind, hydro, micro-CHP or anaerobic digestion that you export to the grid.

Equipment, innovation and business 9

• Farming Innovation Programme - ADOPT fund OpenDefra with Innovate UK (UKRI) · Closes 2 December 2026Grants for farmer-led on-farm trials of new ideas, plus small support grants to help write a bid.
• New Entrant Grants Open all yearAddington FundGrants for items that improve soil or livestock health, such as soil and fodder tests, vet health plans, vaccines, cameras, mobile fencing and foot trimming kit.
• Farming Innovation Programme - research and development competitions Coming soonDefra with Innovate UK (UKRI)Larger research and development grants for businesses and researchers working on farming innovation.
• Farm Resilience Programme and other farm programmes Check it’s runningThe Royal Countryside Fund (formerly the Prince's Countryside Fund)Free business and environmental training for family farms, including Farm Resilience, Routes to Regen, Savings in Soil and Working with Water.
• Supporting Rural Communities grants Check it’s runningThe Royal Countryside FundGrants to groups for young people, community projects, farm succession and rural resilience.
• Adding Value, Improving Farm Productivity, Calf Housing and Laying Hen Housing grants ClosedDefra / RPA · Closes 28 April 2026Larger capital grants for processing, robotics/solar, calf housing and laying hen housing.
• Farmer Collaboration Fund (FCF) ClosedDefra · Closes 30 September 2026Funds organisations that help farmers work together on landscape-scale projects.
• Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2026 ClosedDefra / RPA · Closes 12 May 2026Grants towards set items of equipment for productivity, animal health and welfare, and slurry.
• Rural England Prosperity Fund (and any successor) ClosedLocal councils (Defra money) · Closes 31 March 2026Council-run capital grants for small rural businesses, including farm diversification outside agriculture.

Advice and support 3

• Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies) Open all yearFarm Safety FoundationFree farm safety and mental health resources and training aimed at farmers under 40.
• Farming Advice Service (FAS) Open all yearDefraFree, confidential phone and email advice on farming rules and business.
• Farming Community Network support Open all yearFarming Community Network (FCN)Free, confidential help from about 400 volunteers on farm, business, family and health worries.

Money and hardship help 3

• Addington Fund housing Open all yearAddington FundAffordable homes for retiring farmers and farming families who lose their home through no fault of their own.
• RABI financial support Open all yearRABI (Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution)One-off crisis grants for food, bills, rent and home repairs, plus training grants, farm labour cover after illness or accident, and independent living help.
• Winter Grant 2026 ClosedRABIOne-off grant to help farming households with winter costs.