A fund designed to encourage collaboration and peer-to-peer learning for the protection and enhancement of local landscapes in England is open to new applications.
The sixth round of the Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund for farmers and landowners in England is now open.
The £2.5 million fund encourages collaboration and knowledge-sharing amongst the farming community. Facilitators are individuals and organisations who can bring farmers, foresters, and other land managers together to improve the local natural environment at a landscape scale. Successful facilitation groups will also offer training, support and advice to potential applicants for agri-environment schemes.
The funds applicants could receive as a Facilitator will depend on the number of holdings making up their group. They must have a minimum of four holdings and, although they can have unlimited members, only up to a maximum of 80 can be funded.
Applicants can apply for:
- Up to £10,000 per year for activities such as field trips, training sessions, and sampling/testing of soil and plants, plus one-off consumable items such as binoculars and field guides.
- £500 per member to cover costs of administration and management of the group.
To apply, groups must submit plans showing how they will work together and share knowledge to protect and enhance their local environment, in line with their local Countryside Stewardship priorities.
The fund includes support for new environmental priorities such as the improvement of air quality through slurry removal, reduction of ammonia emissions, tree planting and shelters, and managing beaver activity that will offer support and advice for landowners when beavers move onto their land.
The deadline to apply for the 2022 round of Facilitation funding is 19 January 2022. Agreements will run from 1 June 2022 for three years.
How To Apply
Applications for the sixth round of the Countryside Stewardship Facilitation Fund are open.
Interested parties can apply for the 2022 round of Facilitation funding online. The deadline to apply is 19 January 2022. Agreements will run from 1 June 2022 for three years.
Full details on how to apply will be published on the main Facilitation Fund page later in the year.
Further advice and assistance with submitting an application may be sought directly from the provider.
To receive payments, claimants must comply with all relevant rules and provide evidence that expenditure has been incurred. Claims can be made on a quarterly basis in arrears or on a less frequent basis by agreement with Natural England.
Addresses and contacts
For further information on how to obtain this grant locally, please contact the following:
- Enquiries
Rural Payments Agency (RPA) England
PO Box 69
Reading
RG1 3YD
Tel: 03000 200 301
Email: [email protected]