FETF 2026: apply now for equipment and technology grants

Among the 290 eligible items, heat lamps for lambs are listed (FETF313SH). Credit

You can now apply for a Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2026 grant to help invest in equipment and technology for your business.

The fund supports farmers, growers, foresters and contractors to buy equipment and technology that improves productivity, animal health and welfare, and slurry management.

This year, £50 million is available across 3 themes:

Productivity equipment (£20 million available) Animal health and welfare (£20 million available) Slurry management (£10 million available)

You can apply for grants between £1,000 and £25,000 per theme, with a maximum of £75,000 available if you apply across all 3 themes.

The application window is open for 6 weeks and will close at midday on 28 April 2026.

If you’re planning to invest in equipment or technology for your business this year, now is the time to apply.

The FETF 2026 guidance is available on GOV.UK. It includes details on eligibility, how to apply, and links to the lists of items under each theme.

This will be the final standalone round of FETF in its current form. From 2027, we plan to build on what has worked well across our grant schemes by bringing the strongest elements together, simplifying the application process and making it easier for farmers to access funding.

Learn more

We recently hosted a webinar for prospective applicants to learn more about FETF.

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) also produced a series of videos on how to apply.

Making a difference: farm stories Reducing reliance on artificial fertiliser

Devon-based dairy farm Aplins Farm Ltd successfully applied for 2 pieces of equipment:

a mobile slurry chopper pump that mixes, chops and pumps thick slurry to keep it uniform and easier to spread an umbilical hose reeler that pumps slurry from storage directly to the applicator in the field, enabling efficient spreading over larger areas without the need for heavy tanker journeys across the field.

These investments have improved the farm's slurry management. The chopper pump ensures slurry is ready to apply, maximising its value as a nutrient source and reducing the need for artificial fertiliser.

The equipment protects soil structure from compaction by ensuring that heavy tankers don’t need to drive across fields, as well as saving time without repeated trips to refill a tanker.

Boosting crop yields

North Yorkshire cereals farm E C & S J Alton secured FETF funding to invest in two pieces of equipment designed to improve how they manage irrigation.

They installed an irrigation sensor to monitor soil moisture levels, helping them see exactly when crops need watering. They also bought an irrigation controller for their rain guns, which automates watering schedules and ensures the right amount of water is applied at the correct pressure and time.

Together, this equipment helps the farm make more informed decisions about when and how much to irrigate.

By targeting water use more precisely, the system reduces unnecessary watering while supporting crop growth, helping the farm use water more efficiently and manage costs.

Improving flock health

Shropshire-based livestock farm N L Pugh and Co secured funding last year to improve their sheep management and animal welfare.

With FETF funding, the farm bought 3 pieces of equipment:

an automatic weighing and drafting crate, which quickly and accurately weighs sheep before sorting them into groups based on weight, sex or age an electronic identification (EID) gun, which reads ear tags and triggers the correct dose of treatment based on each animal’s weight a snacker feeder for mobile supplementary feeding in the field, helping to reduce ground damage that can occur with traditional trough feeding

Together, these investments have improved both flock management and farm efficiency.

By ensuring each sheep receives the correct dose of treatment based on its actual weight, the system reduces medicine waste while helping make sure animals receive the right level of treatment.

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If you’ve received an FETF grant before, we’d love to hear how it’s helped you. Just drop a comment below.

https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2026/03/17/fetf-2026-apply-now-for-equipment-and-technology-grants/

seen at 11:37, 17 March in The Farming Blog.