Grants/Funding

Grants for students starting an agriculture-related course in 2021

The Deakin and Combe Memorial Trust is inviting applications for assistance with the costs of further education.  The trust will make awards to those who are studying, or about to study, an agriculture-related course in the 2021/22 academic year, and whose parent(s) have contributed to the industry in England or Wales.  Last year, successful candidates received grants of between £500 and £1,000 towards items such as training courses, laptops and books – a significant sum for any student while at college or university.  Closing date for applications is 27 August 2021.  Read more here.  

English Woodland Creation Offer opens for applications

With £15.9 million available in its first year, this new grant scheme supports the creation of a range of woodland types and sizes, while providing greater financial incentives for landowners and farmers to plant and manage trees. The English Woodland Creation Offer provides greater flexibility and recognition of the benefits woodland can provide for people and wildlife by offering additional incentives to ensure the right tree is planted in the right place for the right reason. The grant will cover standard capital costs for tree planting (up to a per hectare cap of £8,500) and annual maintenance payments of £200 per hectare for 10 years, as well as rewarding farmers and landowners for providing public and wider environmental benefits.  To read all about the scheme, find out if you are eligible and make an application, visit this page.  

Woodland Trust MOREwoods and MOREhedges schemes for large scale planting

If you are thinking about large scale tree or hedgerow planting you could receive up to 75% of the cost from the Woodland Trust’s MOREwoods and MOREhedges schemes.   Their expert advisers will also make a site visit, help you plan the scheme and supply the trees and protection.  Read more here.

£10m available for next woodland carbon units auction

The Woodland Carbon Guarantee gives land managers the option to sell Woodland Carbon Units to the government at a guaranteed price protected against inflation.  The scheme’s previous auctions have helped stimulate proposals for over 2,300 hectares of tree planting.  Farmers and land managers in England are now being encouraged to apply by the 9 July deadline ahead of the next auction which will take place online between 26 July and 1 August.   The Guarantee provides land managers the option to sell their captured carbon in the form of verified carbon credits to the government for a guaranteed price every 5 or 10 years up to 2055/56.  For further information please visit this page.

Adapt and diversify with the help of a grant from WCC

Warwickshire County Council has established a Covid-19 Adapt and Diversify grant scheme as part of a package of funding to support economic recovery in the county.  It is open to all retail, hospitality, tourism and leisure businesses and certain identified businesses in their supply chains that have also been affected by Covid-19.  The new scheme offers grants of £2,500 to £5,000 to access specialist external advice and up to £20,000 for projects which involve specialist advice and/ or the purchase of equipment or the refurbishment of property.   Round two of the scheme will open to online applications from 9.30am on Monday 17 May and close as soon as the funding has been allocated.  Visit this page for full information on how to apply.

Access funding to recover from the pandemic

The Recovery Loan Scheme is to help businesses of any size access loans and other kinds of finance so they can recover after the pandemic and transition period  Up to £10 million is available per business. The actual amount offered and the terms are at the discretion of participating lenders.   The borrower is 100% liable for the debt.  The scheme is open until 31 December 2021, subject to review.   Businesses need to confirm that they would be viable were it not for the pandemic and they have been adversely impacted by the pandemic.  Visit this page for full information.  

Bursary for students studying agriculture at RAU and Reading University

The Jordans and The Prince’s Countryside Fund Sustainable Agriculture Bursary aims to support undergraduate students to pursue their interest in sustainable agriculture and farming practices.   Students must also fulfil the following criteria:​

• Must be aged between 18 – 35 and live in the UK
• Have a conditional or unconditional offer for either an undergraduate agricultural degree at the Royal Agricultural University or an undergraduate degree at the University of Reading’s School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, starting in September 2021

Successful applicants will receive a £3,000 cash award in their first year and a further £1,000 in both their second and third year of study, to support their academic studies and help to further their interest in and knowledge of sustainable agricultural practice.  Closing date for applications is 29 August. Visit this page for full information.

£2000 grants for importing and exporting advice

The SME Brexit Support Fund could give you up to £2,000 to help with training or professional advice, if your business has up to 500 employees and no more than £100 million annual turnover.  The grant can be used to help you get professional advice so your business can meet its customs, excise, import VAT or safety and security declaration requirements.  Applications will close on 30 June 2021 or earlier if all the money is allocated.  Read more here.

Coventry and Warwickshire Innovation Programme

Supporting the development of new innovative products and technologies for SMEs, the programme provides a range of assistance including one-to-one support, networking and access to grants of up to £100,000.  Visit this page for further information.

Coventry and Warwickshire Business Support Programme

A free service comprising one-to-one or group support targeted at new businesses, or established businesses with under 250 employees who want to grow.   Visit this page for further information.

Gigabit Voucher Scheme for small and medium sized businesses

If you are a small or medium-sized business, you may be able to get a grant of up to £3,000 to upgrade your business broadband to a Gigabit capable connection.   Details of approved suppliers can be found at the link below.

HS2 Woodland Fund

You can apply for funding to support native woodland creation or the restoration of Plantations on Ancient Woodland Sites (PAWS) within a 25-mile zone surrounding the HS2 route – currently in Phase One, from London to the West Midlands.

See the HS2WF map (PDF, 239KB, 1 page)

The HS2 Woodland Fund (HS2WF) opened on a ‘first come, first served’ basis in February 2018, with an initial budget of £1 million. A further £4 million budget is now available to be allocated to projects until 2022/23.  The fund is open year round, but applications are assessed 4 times per year. View the assessment deadlines for 2020 – 2021.

Updates to digital maps

The RPA is currently updating digital maps and will use this latest mapping data when calculating BPS 2017 payments. Claimants of Environmental / Countryside Stewardship and Forestry Legacy Schemes may need to review the changes to make sure their applications and/ or agreements are correct.