Farm Health Planning Initiative

The West Midlands Farm Health Planning Initiative provides help to farmers to enable significant improvements to the health and welfare of their stock and to improve business performance.  The West Midlands Farm Health Planning Initiative is part of the Rural Development Programme for England 2007-13 and provides funding for:

• The preparation of a Farm Health Plan which is delivered through the RDPEs LandSkills West Midlands programme, managed by LANTRA, and

• Capital grants through the RDPE’s Farm Health Capital Grant ( FHCG ) managed by Herefordshire Council towards equipment and facilities to produce high health and welfare improvements. 

Applications for capital grants must be supported by a Farm Health Plan produced during a health planning programme in conjunction with your veterinary surgeon. A Farm Health Plan is not a guarantee that funding will be offered for a capital grant. Applications for capital grants are subject to appraisal and approval and these items must be represented inside action plans agreed with your veterinary surgeon during the health planning process.
 
The funding is available to commercial dairy, beef, sheep, pig, goat and poultry producers in the West Midlands whose livestock enterprises provide a minimum of 900 hours of work per year.If identified as priorities in your Farm Health Plan, the grant may support investments in the following areas:

• Livestock Handling;

• Equipment;

• Improvements to buildings;and

• Specialised computer hardware and software.

This section of the website provides information on the Farm Health Capital Grant and should be read in conjunction with the general guidance which is available on this site in Related Documents. 

How do I apply?

You cannot obtain a Farm Health Capital Grant without having completed the Farm Health Plan process.  If you think you are eligible for a Farm Health Plan please follow the instructions below:

1. Obtain the Stage One application form from your veterinary surgeon. Your vet must be listed on the Lantra Veterinary Surgeon’s Panel. The list will be shortly available from the Rural Hubs or on the Lantra website;

2. Complete two copies of the Stage One application form (Section 1 only). It will establish eligibility and allow the farm health plan to proceed;

3. Return the 2 copies of the form to your vet who will agree your Farm Health Planning programme with you. You then work with your vet to develop the Farm Health Plan;

4. On completion of the Farm Health Plan, your vet will give you one copy of the Stage One application form together with your Farm Health Plan and 2 signed copies of the Farm Health Plan Summary Certificate. The recommendations contained in a Farm Health Plan will be an essential requirement in justifying the need for a Farm Health Capital Grant;

5. Complete Section Two of the application form to register interest in the Farm Health Capital Grant with Herefordshire Council;

6. Submit the application form plus a copy of your Farm Health Plan Summary Certificate to the Farm Health Grant Manager (FHGM) at Herefordshire Council;

7. If eligibility is agreed you will be given the full grant application form. A Project Officer will also make contact with you to arrange a visit to discuss your proposal and explain how to complete the application;

8. If relevant you will be put in touch with Business Link West Midlands who will help you assess any general need for training or business advice;

9. If planning permission is needed you will also need to secure this and/or listed building and other relevant consents (where this is a legal requirement) before submitting your full application;

10. Your application will be considered by an approval panel, which normally meets monthly. Most applications will be considered within 6 weeks of submission;

11. On receipt of approval, Herefordshire Council will issue a contract and you can commence work;

12. When the work has been completed and paid for, you can complete and submit a grant claim form. The FHG Manager will provide the relevant form and guidance on request. Individual claims must cover at least £2,500 of grant and be based on the net costs of the work. Claims can relate to more than one item.

How do I find out more?

More information is available by selecting the documents located in the  'Related Documents' section to the right or by contacting Herefordshire Council  or Lantra through the details shown below.

Rural Development Programme for England Business Support is part of Solutions for Business, the Government's package of publicity funded business support delivered to help companies start and grow. More information on Solutions for Business is available here.