New Calf Housing for Health and Welfare Grant

DEFRA has announced a new grant that will be available later this summer as a part of the Faming Transformation Fund. The Calf Housing for Health and Welfare grant will provide up to 40% of eligible costs for building new, upgrading, or replacing existing calf housing buildings to deliver health and welfare benefits for your calves.

Eligibility:

• You need to be an existing cattle farmer in England carrying out farming activity, including calf rearing, with 11 or more cattle.
• You must own the land you’re building on or have a tenancy with over 5 years remaining after the project is complete.

The grant is competitive and will be scored against the funding priorities at each stage of the application process. These priorities include:

• Creating a good ambient environment (Good air quality, temperate, and humidity within the building) through choice of suitable location, ventilation, and other building features
• Facilitate social contact through pair or group housing,
• Improve calf health and welfare,
• Enhance environmental sustainability,
• Introduce innovation.

Application Process:

The application is a 3-stage process made up of an eligibility checker, Ambient Environmental Assessment and Full Application.

The Eligibility Checker is expected to open later this summer and the following information will be required:

• Business information
• Project information (including calf space to be provided, building design & interior specification, and environmental impacts)
• Location of the project
• Information on any required planning permission
• Estimate of the total cost of the project

The project needs to be discussed with a vet and a letter of confirmation must be included with the application (the Annual Health and Welfare Review can be used for this).

How Much:

• Minimum is £15,000 (being 40% of £37,500)
• Maximum grant is £500,000 (being 40% of £1,250,000)
• The minimum grant does not include costs associated with rooftop solar PV panels. For PV panels 25% of eligible costs for the purchase and installation will be covered by the grant.
• Maximum of 40% of eligible costs of a project
• Need to be able to pay remaining project costs – loans, overdrafts, BPS income and CSS income can be used but you cannot use any other public money/grant funding towards project costs.

Until you receive your project start date, you cannot:

• Start work,
• Commit to any costs – including paying deposits,
• Enter into legal contract,
• Place orders.

Any costs incurred before the start date may make the project ineligible.

Claims:

You can claim after the work being claimed for is finished and has been paid for with a maximum of 3 claims across the whole project.

Anything bought with HP or lease purchase must be owned outright before it can be claimed.

For further information on this grant please contact Chris Muir (chris.muir@stephenson.co.uk) or Mary Foster (mary.foster@stephenson.co.uk) on 01904 489731.