Any farming or horticultural business that’s considering a solar PV project should act now to secure government funding of up to £100,000.
DEFRA’s new round of ‘Improving Farm Productivity’ grants is now open – but only for an eight week period that closes at one minute to midnight on Thursday 21 March 2024.
The first step in the application process is to use the online eligibility checker. This takes about 10 minutes and, based on the information you provide, rates your chances of getting a grant as “strong”, “average” or “weak”.
You can then submit further details to get an official response on whether you should pursue a full application. For those invited to do so, the deadline for full applications is 30 June 2025. (But the deadline for the initial eligibility check is still 21 March 2024.)
The grant will cover up to 25% of the cost of a solar PV installation – or the extension of an existing system – including:
- solar PV panels
- solar batteries
- inverters
- utility meters
- electrical grid connections
- power diverters
The minimum grant is £15,000 and the maximum is £100,000.
CleanEarth has installed solar panels for numerous farms over the years (including a recent run in the dairy sector). We are keen to support more farmers and horticultural growers in their efforts to reduce emissions and embrace sustainability.
For more information on the DEFRA grants, check out the GOV.UK guidance website – or give us a call on 01208 895576.