Farmers and landowners trying to make their businesses more efficient, competitive and environmentally friendly have another chance to apply for a grant scheme from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).

Strutt & Parker is urging farmers, foresters, woodland owners, agricultural contractors and horticulturalists, who did not apply in the first round but are considering ways in which to improve their business, to consider applying for up-to-£25,000 grants in the second round of the Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme (FFIS), part of the RDPE.

The scheme was developed to help rural businesses become more profitable and resilient while reducing the impact of farming on the environment. It was designed to help them improve their competitiveness by using resources more efficiently or improving animal health and welfare.

Those eligible can apply for grants from £2,500 to £25,000 to invest in green projects, new machinery and improvements to animal health and welfare in order to help develop their businesses in an environmentally friendly way. Grants vary between 15% and 50% depending on the item and application location.

Eligible applications must be for projects that are over and above standard farm practice and fall within certain areas of activity: they must reduce reliance on artificial fertilisers by improving the use of manures and slurries; save energy and reduce carbon emissions; save and recycle water; improve farm animal health and welfare; or improve woodland management by processing timber more efficiently.

Unsuccessful Round 1 applicants will not be considered.

Application forms are available to download from www.rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk and the deadline is July 17. Applicants are advised to read the applicant handbook (which can also be downloaded from the website) carefully as some conditions have changed since Round 1 and many applications which were submitted in Round 1 were not even considered as they failed to meet the application requirements.

Ali Gray, a farm business consultant in Strutt & Parker's Morpeth office, said: "Be aware that applications submitted in the first round will not be accepted but this scheme offers a very good opportunity and it should not be wasted. The scheme will not fund projects which are legislative requirements but eligible items include slurry separation systems, GPS equipment for precision farming, electricity efficiency devices, rainwater harvesting, timber processors, firewood processors and chippers.

"Livestock farmers can apply for grants for EID readers, computer software, cattle crush upgrades, heat detection technology, parlour floor resurfacing, needleless injectors, percussion stunners, free farrowing systems and water softeners."

For more information contact a member of the Strutt & Parker farm management team in Morpeth on 01670 500871.