Farmers are able to apply for a Calf Housing for Health and Welfare grant to build new, upgrade, or replace existing calf housing buildings to deliver health and welfare benefits for their calves.
Grant details
- The minimum grant amount is £15,000 and the maximum grant £500,000 per applicant business;
- Grants can cover up to a maximum rate of 40% of the eligible costs of a project; and
- Farmers will need to be able to pay the remaining project costs – this could be through the use of loans, overdrafts, and certain other monies, such as money received through the Basic Payment Scheme or agri-environment schemes such as the Countryside Stewardship scheme.
Claims for payment should be made once the work being claimed for is complete.
Eligibility criteria
To be eligible for a grant, the calf housing must
- Be specifically for calves – cattle up to 6 months old;
- Provide a good ambient environment and facilitate social contact through pair or group housing; and
- Ensure good air quality, temperature and humidity through a choice of suitable location, ventilation and other building features.
Applicants must
- Be an existing cattle farmer carrying out farming activity, including calf rearing, with 11 or more cattle;
- Own the land the building is being carried out on; or
- Have a tenancy agreement for the land until 5 years after the project is complete.
How to apply
The application process has 3 stages:
- Online checker – this is due to open later this summer and will enable farmers to check if they are eligible to apply and make an initial application.
- Ambient Environment Assessment – this is an opportunity to share details of the design and specification of the proposed calf housing project.
- Full application – if the Ambient Environment Scores highly enough, the applicant will be sent the full application forms. These will be assessed to see how well the project meets the grant funding priorities.
To apply, farmers will need to discuss the project with a vet and include a letter of confirmation with the full application stage.
For any further information on the Calf Housing for Health and Welfare Grant, please get in touch with our experts below.
