Farmers, woodland owners and forestry contractors can apply for grants under the Countryside Productivity Scheme.

The Countryside Productivity Scheme is part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). It’s administered by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).

The grants available to applicants depend on the size and sector of their business and these are listed on the website at https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/countryside-productivity-scheme A grant may cover up to 40 per cent of the total eligible costs of the project. There are two types of grants: small grants and large grants. For small grants, funding of between £2,500 and £35,000 is available. One small grant can be used to apply for a range of small grant items.

For large grants, funding of between £35,000 and £1,000,000 is available and applicants can apply for a mix of large grant items in one application.

Applications can only be for large grant items or small grant items – not a mix of both.

Applicants can apply for more than one Countryside Productivity grant, as long as they are for different projects. However, the selection process for the funding is competitive and the RPA may give priority to applicants who have not previously received Countryside Productivity funding.

Applicants should make sure they can afford to pay for the whole of their proposed project in the short term, as claims for the cost will be paid in arrears.

The applicant must pay for the remaining 60 per cent of eligible costs, and all ineligible costs, with private money, such as savings or a bank loan.

An applicant won’t get a grant if the project depends on using other public money like Big Lottery, local authority, levy board funds, or other Government or European grants, such as Countryside Stewardship.

If private money is not used, the RPA can reclaim any grant already paid and cancel future grant payments