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Farmer Collaboration Fund

This fund is not yet open for applications. The Farmer Collaboration Fund (FCF) aims to support farmers, land managers and growers to manage land in a productive, nature friendly and sustainable way. The FCF will create opportunities to learn from each other, share knowledge and lessons learned, create joined up plans for landscape-level projects and apply for more ambitious land management schemes, in both government and private sectors.

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  • Closing date: (Midnight)

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Contents

Summary

Please note: This fund is not yet open for applications.

Defra is launching the Farmer Collaboration Fund on 1 September 2026. This will fund the costs of running collaboration groups and allow access to expert advice where this is needed.  

Funds will be awarded to successful delivery partners, who will need to show knowledge and understanding of collaboration, including locally relevant issues. They will use the funds flexibly to support collaboration groups in ways that are important for their area and will help achieve Defra’s objectives. 

An FCF agreement will last 3 years and will range from £200,000 to £1 million per year. Around 20 grants are expected with £5 million funding available annually.

Eligibility

You can apply to be an FCF delivery partner if you’re an organisation based in England. You need to use the FCF to support at least 5 farming collaboration groups. Collaboration groups should include at least 4 farms all managed by different people.Organisations eligible for the FCF grant include:

  • charities and Community Interest Companies (CICs)

  • local authorities, strategic authorities and national landscapes and national parks organisations

  • commercial businesses including limited companies

You must be a single entity, which means you have overall day-to-day control and management of all the various activities in the organisation. You must also have a UK bank account.You can work in partnership with other organisations but only one organisation can apply as the lead organisation. The lead organisation will receive the funding if an application is successful. They are also responsible for using the FCF appropriately.During the application process, Defra will ask you to describe any partnerships you have but will not ask for formal evidence about the status of any partnerships.You’ll need to show skills and experience of:

  • the geographic area, sector or area of interest you want to support through the fund (locally or nationally)

  • supporting and facilitating collaboration

Objectives

Delivery partners should: 

  • use existing strategies and plans to identify priority outcomes, then demonstrate how collaboration groups will deliver those outcomes

  • demonstrate what actions will help achieve those outcomes through the groups they will support

We anticipate a wide range of priorities being in scope and expect different groups to act flexibly to take a range of activities in line with locally relevant needs. 

We expect collaboration and peer learning to lead to farmers and land managers taking up a range of practices that are beneficial for their businesses and for the environment. For example, this could include: 

  •  taking up integrated pest management activities, which can reduce the cost of inputs as well as supporting soil and water health

  • integrating trees into a farming system to diversify income streams, sequester carbon and protect against flood risks

Dates

The FCF will open at midday on 1 September 2026 and close at 11.59pm on 30 September 2026.

How to apply

We will provide further details on how to apply closer to when the fund opens.

Supporting information

Applicant guidance is available at: Farmer Collaboration Fund - GOV.UK