Funding & Support

If you are a farmer, grower, forester, land owner, rural business or part of a rural community you could potentially benefit from funding provided through the Rural Development Programme for England.

Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) grants cover a lot of different sectors and the links below signpost you to the relevant grant pages of each scheme:-

Funding for Agricultural, Forestry & Rural Businesses and Communities

Since taking over responsibility for the delivery of the RDPE socio-economic elements, through the newly established RDPE Delivery Teams, Defra is providing a strong lead on the priorities for delivery. In particular, Defra has refocused remaining socio-economic resources (circa £100 million) of RDPE in line with the priorities of the Rural Economy Growth Review published on 29 November 2011.

• Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme
• Rural Community Broadband Fund
• Rural Economy Grant (to come on stream in early 2012)
• Skills and Knowledge Transfer (to come on stream later in 2012)

Please contact your local RDPE Delivery Team to discuss your ideas.

Local Action Groups

Local Action Groups may be able to support local projects, communities and businesses. Contact your Local Action Group to find out what funding is available in your area.

Funding for Forestry or your Woodland

The English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS) provides grant support for landowners wanting to create new woodland and carry out sustainable woodland management, particularly where it protects and enhances the woodland's environmental or social value.

• Woodland Planning Grant for preparing plans that help with management of the woodland and meet the Woodland Assurance Standard;
• Woodland Assessment Grant for gathering information to improve management decisions;
• Woodland Improvement Grant for work in woodlands to create and sustain public benefits;
• Woodland Regeneration Grant for supporting change in woodland composition through natural regeneration and restocking after felling;
• Woodland Management Grant for helping with the additional costs of providing and sustaining higher-quality public benefits from existing woodlands; and
• Woodland Creation Grant which supports the creation of new woodlands where they deliver the greatest public benefits; and

• Woodfuel Woodland Improvement Grant this new grant supports the sustainable production of woodfuel and other timber products.

Environment funding Environmental Stewardship and Energy Crops

Environmental Stewardship is an agri-environment scheme that provides funding to farmers and other land managers in England to deliver effective environmental management on your land. 

• Entry Level Stewardship for simple yet effective management across the whole farm;
• Organic Entry Level Stewardship is the organic strand of Entry Level Stewardship;
• Uplands Entry Level Stewardship open to farmers and land managers in England "Severley Disadvantaged Areas";
• Higher Level Stewardship builds on Entry Level Stewardship and involves a wide range of environmental benefits involving detailed management; and
• Energy Crops Scheme which pays farmers a contribution of the costs of planting the energy crops miscanthus and short rotation coppice.