Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2026
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra), administered through the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) · England
The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2026 provides grants to help farmers and land-based businesses purchase equipment or technology to improve productivity, manage slurry, and improve animal health and welfare. (GOV.UK)
Summary
Deadline
12 May 2026
Updated
16 Oct 2026
The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2026 provides grants to help farmers and land-based businesses purchase equipment or technology to improve productivity, manage slurry, and improve animal health and welfare. (GOV.UK)
Eligibility
Applicant types
See eligibility requirements
Industries
Agriculture, horticulture and forestry
Match funding
Not specified
Eligible applicants
Farmers, horticulturalists, forestry owners and contractors carrying out services for farmers, horticulturalists or forestry owners, provided the business is based and registered in England. (GOV.UK)
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
Between £1,000 and £25,000 for each grant theme. Applicants can apply separately for Productivity, Slurry and Animal Health and Welfare, with one application permitted for each theme. (GOV.UK)
Total fund available
Not specified
Funding intensity
Between £1,000 and £25,000 for each grant theme. Applicants can apply separately for Productivity, Slurry and Animal Health and Welfare, with one application permitted for each theme. (GOV.UK)
Payment type
Not specified
Eligible scope
Investment in equipment and technology to improve productivity, manage slurry, and improve animal health and welfare.
Eligible expenses
- Purchase of approved equipment and technology under the three FETF 2026 themes: Productivity, Slurry, and Animal Health and Welfare. (GOV.UK)
Ineligible costs
- Items that do not meet the relevant specifications or other scheme requirements are not eligible. Previously purchased items and items receiving funding from another scheme are also excluded.
Application and risks
Application platform
Farming Investment Fund service
Competitiveness
Not scored
Decision timeline
Competitive scoring-based allocation, with applications assessed against the relevant scoring criteria and funding allocated subject to the available budget. (GOV.UK)
Assessment process
Competitive scoring-based allocation, with applications assessed against the relevant scoring criteria and funding allocated subject to the available budget. (GOV.UK)
Application sections
Not specified
Application components
- Separate application for each theme, identifying the eligible items being purchased and their costs, together with the information required by the application service.
Required documents
Not specified
Appendices
Not specified
Assessment criteria
- Applications are assessed according to the scoring system for the relevant theme. Success depends on the score achieved and the number and value of applications received by the RPA. (GOV.UK)
Timeline and partners
Opening date
17 Mar 2026
Project duration
Not specified
Project start
Not specified
Project end
Not specified
Additional guidance
Document research last revised 2026-08-24.
Key Organisational Requirements
Applicants must have a business based and registered in England. Additional eligibility requirements apply to particular themes. For example, the Animal Health and Welfare grant is available only to eligible farms keeping beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, pigs, laying chickens or broiler chickens. (GOV.UK)
Objectives
To improve farm productivity, support slurry management, and improve animal health and welfare through investment in eligible equipment and technology. (GOV.UK)
Important Notes
FETF 2026 consists of three separate grant themes: Productivity, Slurry, and Animal Health and Welfare. Applicants can apply for each theme but can submit only one application per theme. Each application must be between £1,000 and £25,000. (GOV.UK)
Next Opening Date
No next opening date has been announced.
Application deadline in source document
12 May 2026, 12:00 PM (midday)
Official source
Quick facts
- Status
- Closed
- Deadline
- 12 May 2026
- Funding amount
- Between £1,000 and £25,000 for each grant theme. Applicants can apply separately for Productivity, Slurry and Animal Health and Welfare, with one application permitted for each theme. (GOV.UK)
- Funding band
- Not specified
- Funding type
- Grant
- Payment type
- Not specified
- Audience
- See eligibility requirements
- Industry
- Agriculture, horticulture and forestry
- Last updated
- 16 Oct 2026
- Published
- Not specified