Decisions on FETF (Farming Equipment and Technology Fund) applications were announced as starting to go out on the 22 June. For those that have been successful with their application(s) and have accepted one or more grant funding agreements under the FETF 2026, now is the time to focus on making a timely and correct claim under this scheme.
Remember you have 30 days to accept the grant funding agreement.
You will need to submit a separate claim for each grant funding agreement you have received and accepted after you have paid for and received all the items in that agreement.
You must use the RPA claim form provided with the relevant grant funding agreement and must include all the items from that agreement in your claim. You can only submit one claim per grant funding agreement. The RPA will pay each grant claim as a separate payment.
While the deadline to claim your payment is 23:59 on 20 January 2027, it is key to work backwards from this date to develop a realistic timeline to make a claim in good time.
If you can claim earlier then that could avoid what we have seen in recent years of extended delays in receiving a grant funding payment due to the RPA having to deal with a spike in claims near the deadline. This includes working with suppliers for delivery dates, receipts of items and taking photos of items on the farm and having the paperwork that is required available.
New communication approach from the RPA
- The RPA is issuing 2026 grant funding agreement(s) via [email protected].
- For withdrawals and queries post grant funding agreement offer, use [email protected].
- For claims, use [email protected] for each grant theme claim with evidence (this email address is new for 2026).
- When emailing [email protected], it is key that your SBI / FETF 2026 reference number needs to go into the email subject heading as this email address is connected to automated software that directs emails to the appropriate RPA team based on the email subject heading information.
1. Submit in good time
For each grant funding agreement accepted (after carefully reading it and understanding the terms and conditions), it is always advisable to ensure your corresponding claim and associated evidence is submitted well in advance of the final deadline. You can only submit one claim per FETF grant theme. The three FETF themes were productivity, slurry, and animal health and welfare.
If there is a spike in claims submitted close to the deadline, that can lead to delays in processing and payment due to the volume of claims submitted.
Please note that the RPA payment terms continue to be to paid within 60 working days of receiving a claim. If you do not submit the correct evidence or your claim is not complete, it may take longer for the RPA to pay you. You may need to account for this if it will affect the cash flow of your business.
The final deadline for claiming is 23:59 on 20 January 2027. The RPA has said that claims received after this deadline will not be accepted. The claim form connected to the grant funding agreement needs to be emailed to [email protected] along with the supporting evidence needed. Making sure you send the claim from a registered email address that is linked to your SBI.
You will need to separately submit between one and three claims depending on how many different FETF themes you have successfully applied for.
Each of the FETF themes of productivity, slurry, and animal health and welfare has a £25,000 maximum grant available. The total grant amount a single business could apply for was £75,000.
The minimum grant amount for any theme was £1000 to be able to claim. Meeting the minimum grant amount will be based on the value of items purchased which are in excess of this grant level, as the grant is a contribution towards the cost of the eligible items.
Each FETF claim needs evidence to be submitted as set out below:
- Copies of invoices for items purchased.
- Copies of business bank, building society or business credit card statements which shows the item(s) have been paid in full.
- Photographic evidence of each item. (Please note which forms of evidence data transfer cannot be accepted).
The RPA may reject all or part of your claim if you do not submit the correct evidence. You will receive an RPA email confirmation that your claim has been submitted. If you do not receive an email acknowledging receipt of your claim, contact the RPA for help.
2. Getting your photographic evidence right
Your FETF claim needs evidence showing the item(s) are on the farm. These colour pictures can sometimes cause issues due to not being high enough quality, or incomplete images which are partially obscured.
The best way to ensure your images are satisfactory is to take them in good weather with plenty of light. The items themselves must be clearly visible and free from any packaging they might have.
Certain items may also specify a need for a picture of the serial number, or a manufacturer’s plate; you will need to check the specification to ensure you have supplied one where it is required.
If any of your pictures are poor quality and cannot be accessed, the RPA can ask you for further images. This is avoidable by ensuring accurate and clear pictures are submitted the first time to save time and avoid possible delays.
Full guidance on photographic evidence can be found at GOV.UK | Claim your FETF 2026 grant payment.
3. Ensure your payment details are clear and correct
Payment details are equally important for an FETF grant claim – not only must the items being claimed for match your grant funding agreement document, but the associated information provided must also be correct to avoid an impact on your claim payment(s).
A purchase invoice must clearly show the following information:
- The cost of each item and any optional extras listed separately.
- Include the manufacturer’s make and model.
- Quote the relevant FETF 2026 item code from the item and specification list; for example, a direct drill has a code of FETF44.
- Be addressed to the same individual or business as the GFA.
- Show the supplier’s name, address, VAT number and date.
- Be marked by your supplier to show you used a refundable deposit to buy the item, if applicable.
- Clearly show delivery and installation costs separately, as these are not eligible for funding.
If the invoices you provide do not meet the criteria above, it may delay or prevent the RPA from paying your claim. If invoices contain items which are not part of the FETF claim, it’s important to ensure you mark these items clearly.
It is beneficial to try and keep your FETF items on separate invoices and on separate payment transactions for ease of record management.
If you have a supplier account and you have used it to pay more than one invoice, you will need to provide copies of all the invoices included in the payment. There are additional rules if using an item through a buying group or a transaction does not match the FETF item amount set out in the RPA guidance.
Payment evidence must show that the item has been purchased in full by the business. Purchases made in cash or through a personal bank account are not acceptable.
Lease, hire purchase agreements, or part exchanges are not acceptable for the grant funding agreement.
Copies of redacted statements (bank, building society or credit card) need to be supplied as a part of the payment evidence. This is so the RPA can ensure that your named business has purchased the items and paid for them in full, and that all corresponding details match the grant funding agreement.
You can use screenshots from an online account showing redacted payment details and bank or building society logos, or a certified report printed from a banking system. The RPA cannot accept edited bank statements.
Make sure you redact any sensitive information on your bank statement or cheque book stub before sending it to the RPA. This means covering your details with a solid black box or blurring the text, so it is unreadable. Keep your name and the last 4 digits of your bank account number visible so the RPA can identify you.
Your redacted statements must include the following information:
- Bank or building society’s name and logo.
- Account holder's name in full and account number.
- Last 4 digits of your account number / IBAN number.
- Transaction date.
- Transaction type (including payee reference or cheque number).
- Transaction amount.
- Date bank evidence generated.
Any personal information can be removed from the statements that is not relevant to the claim.
Failure to provide these details could see delays to your claim being paid. It is important that you ensure each claim submitted is correct, particularly for those with multiple agreements, and therefore multiple claims.
4. Check your grant funding agreement
As a part of the claim process, it is advisable to double check the terms and conditions of your agreement and ensure you understand these, and their possible implications for the future.
Don’t forget the minimum specifications for each eligible item you’re claiming for. If a piece of equipment meets two or more specifications, you can only apply for funding for one item.
A claim cannot be made where items that do not meet the status allowed, or had already been bought prior to the grant funding agreement.
Items purchased using the FETF must be kept at the location in the grant funding agreement and be used as intended for five years from the date the claim is paid, and be kept in operational and good repair, while a claimant must keep the associated paperwork from this grant for a total of seven years from the claim payment date. If there are any changes to the items or the claiming business, refer to the scheme guidance.
The RPA has been checking these rules in recent years including site visits during these periods.
Checking your grant funding agreement will also help remind you of any specific information which may be required from your evidence and will ensure your claim submission is correct in time for submission.
If you are happy with your claim, once the claim is submitted you will receive an email confirmation.
If you do not receive an email acknowledging receipt of your claim, contact the RPA for help.
The RPA will aim to pay each FETF theme claim within 60 working days of receiving it or within the published timescales for the claim submission window. If you do not submit the correct evidence, it may take longer for your payment to come through.
The RPA will pay you a grant amount of 40% or 50% towards either:
- the average cost of the item – if an item costs you the same or more than the expected average cost in the item lists, or
- the actual cost you pay for the item – if an item costs you less than the expected average cost in the item lists
You can check an item’s expected average cost and grant amount in the item and specification lists.
Payments are made to the bank or building society account attached to your business’s SBI (single business identifier) number in the Rural Payments service. The RPA will send you remittance advice when you’ve been paid.
The RPA will pay each FETF grant theme separately.
5. Contact the RPA early to head off issues
Should you have any issues when sourcing the items under your FETF grant, then it is advisable to contact the RPA as soon as you can. Previously, there have been situations where a claimant is unable to secure all or part of their FETF claim items.
It is important to do this as soon as possible rather than waiting until your claim submission. Acting now will allow the RPA sufficient time to assess these challenges.
If you want to change or remove an item because it’s not available there are rules covering this including:
- Your application must still be within the minimum and maximum grant values.
- The revised total score must still be more than the minimum threshold for successful applications.
The RPA cannot consider requests to add additional items. If you want to change an item in your grant funding agreement before you submit your claim, for example to a similar item or higher specification, you must contact the RPA.
To raise any issues with the RPA, email [email protected] – include your SBI, FETF 2026 and your FETF reference number in the subject header before the claim deadline and include:
- the make, model and quantity of each item
- email evidence to show which suppliers you’ve tried to source the item from and their responses (if applicable)
- an explanation as to why the item is no longer financially viable for your business (if applicable).
You will need prior written approval from the RPA to buy items that are not in your GFA.
6. Support is available
Please contact the RPA if you need help with any of the following:
- submitting your claim or supporting evidence
- correcting a mistake after you’ve submitted your claim.
You can email [email protected] or call the RPA helpline on 03000 200 301 and select the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund option to be put through to an RPA adviser.
Finally remember the RPA can only use registered contact details if they need to contact you. You must check and update if required, your email address and contact details in the Rural Payments service.
