Free advice · Scotland
Farm Advisory Service: mentoring for new farmers and crofters
Free mentoring from an experienced mentor for the set-up and early years of a new farm or croft business.
- From
- Farm Advisory Service
- How much
- Free to you: FAS pays the mentor up to £1,200 (four days).
- Who can apply
- People who set up or became head of a farming business in Scotland in the last five years, registered with IACS and holding a BRN.
What you’ll need
- BRN
- Business started within the last five years
How to apply
- Wait for the window to reopen (expected April 2027)
- Complete the mentoring application form (section 11 if you want help finding a mentor)
Temporarily closed; normal service expected to resume in April 2027 (page read 30 October 2026).
Similar schemes
- Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (SSBSS) 2026 OpenScottish Government / RPID · Closes 14 January 2027Payment per eligible beef calf to help keep suckler herds in Scotland, with separate mainland and island rates.
- Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme (SUSSS) 2026 OpenScottish Government / RPID · Closes 30 November 2026Flat-rate payment for each homebred ewe hogg kept on rough grazing farms that rely on Payment Region 3 land.
- Croft House Grant Open all yearScottish Government / RPIDGrants for crofters to build a new croft house, rebuild or improve one, or make it more energy efficient.
- Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme (CAGS) Open all yearScottish Government / RPIDCapital grants for crofters to build or improve agricultural buildings and other croft works, and to set up Common Grazings Committees.
- Crofting Cattle Improvement Scheme (bull hire) Open all yearScottish Government / RPIDHire of Scottish Government-owned bulls to groups of crofters who cannot practically keep their own bull or use AI.
Checked against the official pages on 29 October 2026. Sources: 1, 2. Always read the official page before you apply.