Farming Investment Fund / Farm Energy & Productivity Grants for business solar
Applies in some casesFarm-business-only capital grants that have funded solar tied to productive farming - but the solar-relevant rounds are now closed and the scheme is being restructured for 2026-27.
Who qualifies
Farm businesses in England only (registered as an agricultural/horticultural business). Not open to general SMEs or non-farm commercial premises. Where solar was fundable (under the Improving Farm Productivity grant within the Farming Transformation Fund), the solar had to be integrated with productive farming activity - e.g. powering refrigeration, grain drying, slurry handling or horticultural lighting - NOT a standalone solar farm. Match funding of roughly 40-60% from the applicant was typically required.
How much it is worth
Under the now-closed Improving Farm Productivity round, solar-inclusive grants ran from a minimum of £15,000 up to a maximum of £100,000 per business at 25% of eligible capital cost (with an aggregate cap of around £500,000 across all grants per business). The smaller Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) awarded roughly £2,500-£25,000 per item but is also now closed. Amounts for any successor Capital Grants (planned to open July 2026) had not been fully confirmed at the time of checking.
Where it stands in 2026
Largely CLOSED / in transition as of July 2026. gov.uk confirms both the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) and the Improving Farm Productivity grant (round 2, which covered solar PV) are closed to applications. Defra/RPA plan to consolidate capital grant schemes, with a new Capital Grants offer scheduled to open July 2026 and Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI 2026) windows opening June/September 2026 - but solar-PV eligibility within these successors was not confirmed at check time.
How to claim the Farming Investment Fund / Farm Energy & Productivity Grants
- 1Confirm you are an eligible England farm business via the Rural Payments Agency / gov.uk 'Funding for farmers' hub.
- 2Because the solar-relevant rounds are currently closed, monitor gov.uk for the July 2026 Capital Grants opening and SFI 2026 windows and check whether renewable/solar items are included.
- 3For any open round, register on the Rural Payments service and check the specific item codes and eligibility for that window.
- 4Prepare match funding (historically 40-60%) and evidence that any solar is integrated with productive farming activity.
- 5Do not assume rolling availability - windows are announced in advance and close quickly.
Key facts, checked against official sources
- gov.uk confirms FETF is 'now closed' and Improving Farm Productivity round 2 (which covered solar PV) is closed to applications.
- Solar was only fundable when integrated with productive farming - standalone solar farms were never eligible.
- England only and farm-business only - excludes general SMEs and non-agricultural commercial sites.
- A new Capital Grants offer was scheduled to open July 2026 but its solar-PV eligibility was unverified at check time - discrepancy between gov.uk (closed) and a commercial grants site (rolling) flagged; gov.uk trusted.
Reliefs like this change the true net cost of every funding route. Model it in the finance calculator, or see how it fits alongside the other options on the grants & funding hub.