Farmers could secure up to £60,000 in capital grants for environmental improvements

The Countryside Stewardship’s standalone capital grant schemes has re-opened for 2023.

There are a number of scheme updates which are beneficial to landowners and farmers, some of the headline changes are:

• New payment rates for capital items were announced in January, with the majority of them having a payment increase.
• Brand new category for capital items under natural flood management, including equipment to disrupt tramlines, and leaky woody dams.
• You now have three years to complete capital items
• Businesses located within low, medium and high priority areas can now apply for funding.

Farmers can capture up to £80,000 in grants to pay for capital items that deliver specific benefits for the environment.

Capital items that come under four categories:

• Boundaries, trees and orchards
• Natural flood management
• Water quality
• Air quality

Each category is capped at £20,000 of grant funding, meaning up to £80,000 can be applied for.

With 70 capital items on Defra’s list, the grant can help towards the cost of a large range of items including; £44.63/m for livestock and machinery hardcore tracks, £7.47/m for sheep netting, £22.93/m for hedgerow planting and £33.64/m² for concrete yard renewal.

With such a diverse range of items to choose from, this grant offers a good opportunity for subsidising capital works on a farm.

Farmers are entitled to apply for the capital grant scheme even if they are in one or more existing agri-environmental schemes. For land parcels that have had capital grant funding, you can now apply for another grant once capital works have been completed and claimed for. 

Agreements are for a maximum of three years where in the capital works must be completed.  Grant recipients are also expected to keep capital items funded through the scheme in the condition that is set out in the agreement for five years.

Defra says the capital grant scheme will remain open until all the money it has allocated has been committed. If it becomes oversubscribed, the Rural Payments Agency will provide a six-week notice period for any final applications to be submitted.

Brown&Co has an application service in place to give applicants the best chance of securing the maximum funding towards capital items for their business. This requires an initial meeting to discuss the available items and the economics of the capital grants relevant to an individual business.

Download further details on grants available