Securing a brighter future for your calves – Apply now for the Calf Housing grant

The much-anticipated Calf Housing for Health and Welfare grant is now open for applications, and here is everything you need to know to secure funding for your farm.

Grant background

The Animal Health and Welfare Infrastructure grants present a golden opportunity for cattle farmers in England to receive co-funding for large infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing the health and welfare of their animals.

Grants ranging between £15,000 and £500,000 are now available to existing cattle farmers engaged in calf rearing with 11 or more cattle.

This initiative is designed to improve living conditions for calves, encouraging social contact through small group rearing and enhancing the ambient environment with adequate ventilation, protection from draughts, and optimal temperature and humidity levels.

By addressing the issue of poor ventilation in many buildings, the grant aims to boost the health of the calves reared, translating to improved growth and performance in their adult life.

How to apply

Before embarking on your application, it is important to familiarise yourself with the official guidance available on the GOV.UK website, which explains the eligibility criteria and the necessary information for the application. The application process is broken down into three stages:

1. Online checker – This tool is used to ascertain your eligibility for the grant.
2. Ambient environment assessment – Successful candidates from stage one will be invited to submit an ambient environment assessment.
3. Full application – This is the final stage of the application process.

You have until 30 November 2023 to complete the first stage of the application. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will oversee the assessment of all applications.

Collaborative design for success

The grant is the brainchild of a collaborative effort involving farmers, vets, and industry experts with a wealth of knowledge in calf housing design. This co-design approach ensured the integration of invaluable insights and recommendations from farmers and vets, aiming to secure a prosperous future for farms across England.

Dairy farmers are encouraged to give calves a positive start in life, enhancing their market value and providing beef farmers with healthy and thriving calves.

Beef farmers and calf rearers stand to benefit immensely from the co-funding available for improving or replacing existing calf-rearing facilities.

Your role

To ensure that the infrastructure modifications funded by the grant meet the specific health and welfare needs of the calves on your farm, seeking advice from your vet is a mandatory part of the application process.

One way to obtain this advice is through the fully funded Annual Health and Welfare Review available through the Pathway, offering bespoke advice on the health and welfare of your animals.

We urge all eligible farmers to consider applying for this grant to provide a healthier and more prosperous future for their calves. For further details, please contact us.