New funding opportunities in our beautiful countryside
Landowners, land managers and farmers with land in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty or National Park could be in line to receive funding through DEFRA’s new Farming in Protected Landscapes Programme.
The programme recognises that land managers in protected landscape areas might require additional financial support to carry out certain work, over and above the support already available through Countryside Stewardship.
Common land within these areas is also eligible for support and funding can be applied for by landowners with sole rights or by a group of commoners in collaboration.
Project proposals will undergo a thorough assessment process to ensure that only proposals that meet the programme’s objectives proceed. Applications will be scored for project outcomes, value for money, sustainability and ability to deliver.
If successful, you could get funding of up to 100 per cent of the costs of the project, if you will not make a commercial gain through it. If you will benefit commercially from a project, then the programme will fund a proportion of the costs.
The programme opens for applications this month and will run in rounds until March 2024. The first round closes for applications in January 2022.
Louise Preece, Halls
