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Farmer Collaboration Fund

Asked by James McMurdockIndependentDepartment for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsTabled Answered 7 September 2026UIN 25422

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the Department's press release entitled New support to help farmers thrive for generations, published on 16 July 2026, what criteria will be used to assess applications to the Farmer Collaboration Fund.

Answered by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Applications to the Farmer Collaboration Fund will be assessed against criteria published in the Applicant's Guide on gov.uk. Eligible applicants will be assessed on:

  • their experience of working with farmers and land managers
  • the partnerships they have built with other organisations working on collaboration
  • the objectives they propose, including how they align with Defra priorities
  • their delivery plans, including additionality, proposed collaboration groups, milestones, budgets, and long-term sustainability
  • value for money

Applications must achieve minimum scoring thresholds to be considered for funding.

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