Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF): Round 1

Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF): Round 1 opened on 16 November 2021 and closes midday 7 January 2022. 

The FETF provides investment towards specific items of equipment that will improve productivity and efficiency for farming, horticultural and forestry businesses. The grant is a contribution towards the cost of buying new technology or equipment from an approved list in Annex 3. The grants are for a minimum of £2,000 and a maximum of £25,000 for Items listed in Annex 3. The cost listed for each Item is the actual grant amount we will pay.

Farm Compare showcases many of the eligible products for manufacturers including slurry solutions to seed drills to milk plate heat exchangers; so we have prepared some relevant info to help you with your application.

First off, have a look at the list of FETF Items to see if there are any you are interested in, you will find them listed here in Annex 3.
Once you have identified the products that would like to apply for, let Farm Compare take some of the hassles out of your research and get your quote from our registered sellers.

Here's how it works....
1. Find the product on Farm Compare (we've included helpful links to the products below)
2. Click the ‘Locate a dealer’ option and enter your details
3. Our registered dealers or manufacturers near you will respond with a quote. 

It's that easy!

So let us get started, here are some links on Farm Compare to the relevant eligible items: 

FETF32 Dribble Bar minimum working width 6 m | Grant amount £4,000 | Click here for eligible products
Dribble bar applicator, minimum 6m working width. To fit to slurry tanker or attach to flexible pipe/umbilical system. Includes macerator, stone traps and pipework to connect to tanker or umbilical system.

FETF33* Dribble Bar minimum working width 10 m | Grant amount £8,354 | Click here for eligible products
Dribble bar applicator, minimum 10m working width. To fit to slurry tanker or attach to flexible pipe/umbilical system. Includes macerator, stone traps and pipework to connect to tanker or umbilical system. (New and not previously available under the Countryside Productivity Small Grant Scheme).

FETF34 Shallow Injection Systems 3 m working width | Grant amount £8,250 | Click here for eligible products 
Injection system to incorporate slurry under the soil surface. To fit to slurry tanker or attach to flexible pipe/umbilical system. Minimum working width 3 m. Includes macerator, stone traps and pipework to connect to tanker or umbilical system

FETF36 Trailing Shoe Slurry System 6 m  | Grant amount £9,834 | Click here for eligible products 
Trailing shoe slurry applicator, minimum 6 m working width. To fit to slurry tanker or attach to flexible pipe/umbilical system. Includes macerator, stone traps and pipework to connect to tanker or umbilical system.

FETF38 Umbilical Hose Reeler for slurry application  | Grant amount £2,231 |Click here for eligible products
Umbilical hose reeler for slurry application, random or compartmentalised, trailed or mounted. Must include a minimum of 400 m of hose

FETF40 Heat Recovery Unit to heat water | Grant amount £2,942 | Click here for eligible products
System to utilise the heat energy released by the milk refrigeration system used for cooling milk before entering the bulk tank. Energy recovered used to preheat water for existing hot water system. Cost includes connection to existing refrigerant system, connection to water supply, heat recovery tank with minimum 300 litre water capacity and connection to existing hot water system

FETF41 Plate Heat Exchanger for cooling milk (plate cooler)  | Grant amount £1,225 | Click here for eligible products
Gasket plate heat exchangers to pre-cool milk before entering the bulk tank using cold water. Minimum continuous flow rate of milk 5,000 litres per hour. Other types of heat exchangers are not eligible, for example tube heat exchangers

FETF42 Improving efficiency of existing Plate cooler | Grant amount £1,357 | Click here for eligible products
Control equipment to regulate cold water flow to match the flow of warm milk through existing plate cooler. To reduce water usage and maximise cooling efficiency of system, saving both electricity and water. The system installed under this item will include: flow sensor, automatic control system, solenoid valve, and storage tank (minimum 300 litres capacity) of warmed water for use elsewhere on the farm. This item does not include the purchase of a plate cooler, you should apply under FETF41 for funding towards a plate cooler

FETF86 Cluster Flush | Grant amount £360 | Click here for eligible products
System to back flush milking cluster to sanitise unit between cows. Cost is per cluster unit.

FETF66 Cattle Auto ID Shedding Gate (auto drafting)  | Grant amount £2,974 | Click here for eligible products
Gate linked to computer control/EID system to draft cattle into two or more groups automatically. Using either electronic tags, collars or ankle transponders to identify the animal. Must be able to operate automatically with digital weighing system. All ferrous metal parts must be fully galvanised, or powder coated. Painted metalwork is not eligible

FETF90 Heat Detection System - Base Unit | Grant amount £1,200 | Click here for eligible products
Automated system for the heat detection in cows based on motion detection. Using either electronic ear tags, neck collars or ankle transponders to identify the animal - 
see FETF91 ‘Heat Detection System - Ear Tag, Collar or Ankle Band’.

FETF91 Heat Detection System - Ear Tag, Collar or Ankle Band  | Grant amount £34 | Click here for eligible products
Automated system for the heat detection in cows. Ear tag, neck collars or ankle bands to measure motion associated with oestrous behaviour. Cost isper neck collar/ankle band or ear tag. Note for ear tags to be eligible they must have a life expectancy of at least five years and be reusable (transferable to another animal). Tags used for Cattle Tracing System (CTS) purposes are not eligible for funding. Bolus type transponders are not eligible under this scheme

FETF93 Mobile Calf Milk Pasteuriser and Dispenser  | Grant amount £3,053 | Click here for eligible products
Mobile milk pasteuriser and dispenser with minimum 150 litres capacity. With built in mixer, heater, temperature monitoring to aid pasteurising and remaining volume indicator. The system must be selfcontained and fully mobile. With a rechargeable battery system providing power to aid mobility, maintain temperature during dispensing and aid milk dispensing

FETF94 Auto Calf Feeder with Washing Facility  | Grant amount £3,246 | Click here for eligible products 
Programmable milk feeder for calves, capable of individually feeding and monitoring calf intake. Able to alert if calf is not drinking or drinking less than normal. Must automatically selfclean feeding tube and teat between each feeding. Capable of feeding 30 calves individually. Cost is for one programmable milk feeder and one feed station

FETF95 Additional Feed Station | Grant amount £734 | Click here for eligible products 
Purchase of an additional feed station for programmable milk feeder (FETF94 ‘Auto Calf Feeder with Washing Facility’) for calves. Each feed station should be capable of feeding 30 calves individually. Maximum of 3 additional feed stations per application

FETF44 Direct Drill 3 m: ERTH Seed Drills | Grant amount £12,054| Click here for eligible products
Direct drill for precision drilling of arable and cover crops, using either tines or discs to produce the seeding slot. To be eligible the drill must have a minimum drilling width of 2.9 m, must have no cultivation or seed bed preparation equipment in front of the seeding slot mechanism and the seed must be placed in the seeding slot. The drill must be able to drill through a fully established growing cover crop of at least 15 cm in height. Purchase must include seed hoppers. The drill must be able to drill the full range of arable and cover crops including cereals. The following are not eligible: Cultivators with over-seeders or broadcasters, minimum till drills, strip till drills, grassland over-seeders, and grassland broadcasters

FETF112 Grassland Sward Lifters: | Grant Amount £2,804 | Click here for eligible products
Minimum three legs with adjustable depth control (at least to 300 mm) via the legs or packing rollers. Machine must have cutting disc in front of, and a packing roller behind, each leg, shear bolt or mechanical reset on each leg

For your grant application make sure you check the availability of your chosen items with your supplier.   Items must be paid for, delivered, installed and made operational (if required) before you submit your claim for payment.

 Other Important information

The application process Check out this link to check your eligibility, what you need to have in place for your application, checking your details up to date and registering on Rural Payment, and how to submit your application

Make your application on the Application Portal by midday 7 January 2022, here is the link to the FETF Application Portal.

How to claim your grant, what evidence you need to submit with your claim and what happens next. Your claim must be made by midnight on 30 September 2022 or your grant award will be withdrawn. Click here for more info

Annex 1: Fund specific conditions of grant. Click here for more info

Annex 2: Terms & Conditions. This annex details the terms and conditions of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund. Click here for more info

Annex 3 – Eligible Items – specification and grant amount. This annex details the required Specification and Grant amount of eligible items. Click here for more info

Annex 4: Eligible Items by category.  This annex details the eligible Items by category. Click here for more info

For help completing the online application, you can view our YouTube video How to apply for the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund.

Don't forget the closing date for receipt of completed applications is 4pm on 7 January 2022.  Good Luck!