Future Farm Investment Scheme

Capital Grant Available

The Future Farm Investment Scheme (FFIS) has been developed to meet four aims

Improve business efficiency and sustainability
Protect, restore or enhance the environment
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and/or
Mitigate the effect of climate change

*This is a competitive scheme, meaning not all applications will be approved, and all applications will be scored, with the highest scores receiving funding. The application window will open on 14 July 2025 and close on 22 August 2025.

Priority will be given to

New entrants
Young farmers
Small agricultural businesses
Tenants
Island based agricultural businesses
Organically registered and certified businesses
Investments in electronic identification (EID) equipment
Investments in water efficiency

Farm/croft size	Maximum that can be applied for
30 hectares or less	£5,000.00
Between 30.01 -150 hectares	£10,000.00
Greater than 150 hectares	£20,000.00

There is no minimum amount of support that you can apply for and the amount you apply for can cover up to 100% of the investment cost.

The remainder of the investment costs must be paid for by the agricultural business or person named in the Offer of Grant, with money from private sources like savings, bank loan or credit card. Items purchased using Hire Purchase (HP) or Leasing are not eligible. You also cannot fund the remainder of investment costs with other public funds

Business Eligibility

You are eligible to apply if

You are a farmer or crofter
Your agricultural business meets the legal definition of a “farmer” that undertakes an “agricultural activity”
Your agricultural business is registered and approved for funding with SGRPID (new businesses can submit a FFIS application before their business has been approved, however an Offer of Grant will not be made until eligibility for funding has been approved by SGRPID)
Your agricultural business submitted a Single Application Form (SAF) to claim funding by 15th of May (i.e. didn’t submit a SAF to only tell us about your land)
The total area of eligible agricultural land (excluding common grazing shares); declared on your SAF on the 15th of May was greater than 3 hectares
If you claimed BPS, and your agricultural business declared at least two of the Whole Farm Plan audits and plans on your SAF on the 15th of May and
If you did not claim BPS, but are claiming under other support schemes where WFP compliance was not a requirement you can still apply and if your application is successful, you must have least two of the Whole Farm Plan audits and plans by the time you submit your evidence of carrying out your investment

Payments will be made upfront with proof of purchase of the agreed items required within nine months of the Offer of Grant. If the eligible expenditure is less than the award made, you do not buy all of the investments you applied for or you fail to provide satisfactory evidence you will be required to repay either the full grant or the difference with interest. If you fail to do so, these funds can be recovered from future payments (BPS, LFASS etc.).

Please Remember: You must not order or buy any of the items before you have made and accepted your Offer of Grant award. Doing this will make your application ineligible and if this is established at a subsequent check you will be required to repay grant support that was paid to you with interest.

Eligible and Ineligible Items

The Scottish Government has released a list of items eligible for the grant.

Livestock

Electronic Identification Ear tag Readers
Electronic Livestock weighing equipment
Microscopes for faecal egg counting

Grassland

Grassland sward lifters
Electric fencing systems for managing grazing
Quad mounted seed broadcaster

Arable

Direct Drills
Camera guided inter row sprayer
Variable rate controller for seed drills, sprayers and fertiliser spreaders

Water Efficiency

Water harvesting and filtering equipment
Irrigation Sensors
Irrigation controller for rain guns

Nature

Hedge/tree planting (incl. associated stock proof fencing and cactus guards (excl. labour costs))
Virtual fence – grazing collars
Herb and legume rich seed mix where the seeding will support maintenance of land for at least five years.

Climate

Mobile or fixed slurry separators
Low emission slurry spreading equipment
Slurry store covers

This list is not exhaustive and if you wish to apply for anything that is not on the list, you are able to seek clarification from SGRPID on whether this is a fundable option prior to submitting an application. To be considered, the capital investment item will need to be retained for use by your business for at least six years and meet one of the scheme objectives below.

Improve business efficiency and sustainability
Protect, restore or enhance the environment
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and/or
Mitigate the effect of climate change

*When selecting what to apply for it its worth remembering that one of the areas that ScotGov have confirm priority will be given to is investments in electronic identification (EID) equipment and investments in water efficiency.

The following items are confirmed as ineligible and should not be applied for:

sheds

new or replacement roofs

concrete

home built items

zero grazers

livestock

basic agricultural equipment e.g. tractors, trailers, quads, farm handlers, forklifts, 4x4s, RTVs etc.

investments required to comply with existing statutory regulatory requirements e.g. slurry stores to meet minimum number of weeks storage.

investments that are not expected to last 6 years following the Offer of Grant being made

items already owned

second-hand, ex-demonstration and ‘try before you buy’ items

like for like upgrades and replacements

investments associated with food processing

feed, fuel, fertilisers, lime or sprays

renewable energy investments (including anaerobic digesters)

items from a supplier or manufacturer who you or your business are part of or linked to in any way

items used in full or part for any non-agricultural business or domestic purposes (including agricultural contracting)

computer hardware which is not solely required for the project, such as standalone pc, laptop, printer etc

purchase of land

investments that have already received grant support

irrigation lagoons (already funded through AECS)

replacement items covered by an insurance claim

tyres – including VF and flotation

replacement feed barriers

new slat panels slatted court for cattle

new doors

new silo floor, wall, roof

silage pit covers, clamp sheets, cling seal sheets

redesign of old sheds

converting sheds to slatted housing

permanent farm boundary fencing

reseeding – grass to grass

species rich grass mixes

ditching and drainage

grass toppers

livestock trailers

How To Apply

Applications are made online via the "Manage Applications and Claims Portal" which can be accessed from the FFIS guidance page on RPS.

We will share the link for this portal once it is released.

*If you require support from Owen Farm Services to submit your application, we will need to be mandated to do so.

To apply you will need to provide the following information on your agricultural business

How long your business has been trading
If the head of the agricultural business was under 41 years of age on the 15th of May in the year of application
What your business occupancy status is
The total area of eligible agricultural land declared on your SAF (excluding common grazing shares) on the 15th of May
If your business is island based
If you are a farmer or crofter
If you are a registered and certified organic producer
Which of the Vision for Agriculture priorities your current agricultural activities deliver
What your main agricultural activity is
what on farm/croft capital investment you plan to use the funding for

*If you submit your application and realise you have made a mistake before the application window deadline, you can ask to withdraw your application and submit a new application.

Owen Farm Services are here to help with this process. Please contact us if you would like support and advice on submitting an application, clarifications on eligible items or to discuss how this grant can fit into your wider business plan.