Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2026
Rural Payments Agency (Defra) · England
The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2026 provides grants to support farmers and land-based businesses in improving productivity, animal health and welfare, and slurry management through equipment and technology investment.
Summary
Deadline
28 Apr 2026
Complexity
Medium
Time to apply
20-60 hours
Updated
9 Jun 2026
The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2026 provides grants to support farmers and land-based businesses in improving productivity, animal health and welfare, and slurry management through equipment and technology investment.
Eligibility
Applicant types
Business
Business size
SME, Large
Industries
Agriculture, horticulture, forestry
Match funding
Needs verification
Requirements
Farmers, horticulturalists, forestry owners, and contractors providing services to these sectors, based and registered in England Farmers, growers or foresters in England with a Standard Business Identifier (SBI); must meet FETF 2026 theme eligibility. Investment in equipment and technology to improve farm productivity, slurry management, and animal health and welfare
Eligible applicants
Farmers, horticulturalists, forestry owners, and contractors providing services to these sectors, based and registered in England
Funding and scope
Benefit amount
£1,000 to £25,000 per grant theme (Productivity, Slurry, Animal Health and Welfare)
Total fund available
Not specified
Funding intensity
Not specified
Payment type
Reimbursement
Eligible scope
Investment in equipment and technology to improve farm productivity, slurry management, and animal health and welfare
Eligible expenses
- Purchase of approved equipment and technology items under three themes: productivity, slurry, and animal health and welfare
Ineligible costs
- Items not meeting specifications, already purchased items, items funded through other schemes, home-built equipment, and items not expected to last five years
Application and risks
Application platform
Farming Investment Fund service
Competitiveness
Closed / Not accepting applications
Decision timeline
Not specified
Assessment process
Competitive scoring-based allocation, with funding awarded starting from highest scoring applications until budget is allocated
Application sections
Not specified
Application components
- Separate applications per theme including selected items, costs, and supporting information
Required documents
Not specified
Appendices
Not specified
Assessment criteria
- Applications scored based on item scoring system (productivity, environmental benefit, or animal welfare impact depending on theme)
Timeline and partners
Opening date
17 Mar 2026
Project duration
Not specified
Project start
Not specified
Project end
Not specified
Co-funders
Not specified
Collaboration rules
- Supplier quotes and authorised FETF claim process; no collaboration required.
Consortium requirements
- Single applicant per item claim; not a consortium grant.
Additional guidance
[{"label":"Key Organisational Requirements","value":"Applicants must be registered in England and meet eligibility for specific themes (e.g. livestock requirements for animal health and welfare grants)"},{"label":"Funding Structure","value":"£1,000 to £25,000 per theme; up to £75,000 total across three themes; grants typically cover 40% to 50% of item costs"},{"label":"important notes","value":"Applicants can apply for multiple themes but must submit separate applications; funding is competitive; claims must be submitted by 20 January 2027"}]
Quick facts
- Status
- Closed
- Deadline
- 28 Apr 2026
- Funding amount
- £1,000 to £25,000 per grant theme (Productivity, Slurry, Animal Health and Welfare)
- Funding band
- Micro (<£50k)
- Funding type
- Grant
- Payment type
- Reimbursement
- Audience
- Business
- Industry
- Agriculture, horticulture, forestry
- Last updated
- 9 Jun 2026
- Published
- 17 Mar 2026