The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) provides grants for specific machinery, equipment and technology items to help reduce costs and increase efficiencies.
The grant is not just open to farmers, you can apply if you are a farmer; horticulturalist; forestry owner; or contractor, carrying out services to farmers, horticulturalists or forestry owners.
This summary highlights some key details of the scheme to help you prepare ahead of the application window opening on 29 May 2025.
Three themes
The fund is split into three distinct themes:
- Improving productivity;
- Managing slurry; and
- Improving animal health and welfare.
It is important to be aware that only one application is permitted per theme. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) recommends reviewing all themes, as relevant opportunities may exist outside your main field of interest.
Grant value
The 2025 FETF offer includes a total budget of £46.7 million, with £30 million allocated to the productivity and slurry grant themes, and £16.7 million dedicated to the animal health and welfare grant theme.
Grants of between £1,000 and £25,000 are available for each of the three themes and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will fund an amount of between 40% and 50% towards either:
- The average cost of the item – if an item costs you the same or more than the expected average cost in the item lists; or
- The actual cost you pay for the item – if an item costs you less than the expected average cost in the item lists.
This is a competitive funding opportunity. Each theme is subject to defined scoring criteria to ensure effective allocation of public resources. Once the application window closes, all submissions will be reviewed and scored. Funding outcomes may vary, and you might receive less than requested – or no funding at all.
Eligibility of items
Only items listed in one of the three themes are eligible. They must be new or ex-display and meet the required specifications.
You can buy an item with a higher specification, but you cannot buy items that do not meet the minimum specification. For example, you can buy a 6 metre (m) drill if the minimum specification is listed as 3m, as long as all other criteria for the item are met.
Items must be expected to last five years, following payment of the grant.
Overview of the Three Themes
Productivity
This is a grant to boost efficiency and productivity.
There are 66 different eligible items, popular items include:
- Tractor-powered electric desiccators for weed control (e-weeders);
- Robotic drill and guided hoe;
- Inter row hoes and weeders (and other precision farming equipment);
- Rainwater harvesting tanks;
- Camera-guided inter-row sprayers; and
- Robotic silage pusher.
Applications in this theme are scored based on how much they:
- Improve productivity;
- Help the environment; and
- How widely they are used in the industry.
Slurry Management
This grant improves how you collect, store, test and spread slurry.
There are 17 different eligible items, popular items include:
- Robotic slurry collectors;
- Flow rate monitoring equipment; and
- Low-emission slurry spreaders such as dribble bars.
Applications in this theme are scored based on:
- How much they improve slurry management;
- Their benefit to the environment; and
- The level of adoption by the industry.
Animal Health & Welfare
Animal health and welfare grants are available to commercial farmers who keep pigs, sheep, dairy cows, beef cattle, layer chickens or broilers.
There are more than 100 eligible items, popular items include:
- Piglet creeps;
- Mobile cattle and sheep handling systems; and
- Cooling systems for poultry housing.
Application scores can be increased by 20% if evidence is provided that the application has been discussed with a vet.
How to apply
You can apply for FETF 2025 using the Farming Investment Fund service between 29 May and midday on 10 July 2025.
This is the only application window for FETF 2025.