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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 and find practical solutions that support their businesses and the environment. 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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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 separate farming businesses 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

  • mutual societies, such as cooperatives

  • universities

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.

If you apply in partnership with other organisations, you’ll need to appoint a lead organisation to:

  • submit your application

  • receive funding if your application is successful

  • make sure the funding is spent appropriately

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 help farmers, land managers and growers to:

  • take up integrated pest management activities, which can reduce the cost of inputs and support their soil and water health

  • start to integrate trees into a farming system to diversify income streams, capture and store carbon and protect their land against flood risks

  • adopt new technology that will improve animal health and welfare

  • exchange farm data to improve business performance

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

You need to read the FCF applicant’s guide for more information about eligibility, what the fund pays for and what you need to do to apply.