Grants for Converting to Organic - England

Convert to organic with Countryside Stewardship funding

Rural Payments Agency funding now open in England

The Countryside Stewardship Scheme provides funding for farmers and land managers in England to make environmental improvements, including financial support for farmers to convert to, and manage their farms to organic standards. Unlike other funding options within the scheme, organic conversion and maintenance applications are not competitive and therefore all eligible applications will be successful.

Read on to find out about the key things you need to know about the scheme. Click on the links below to jump to the sections that interest you the most:

• Why consider organic conversion
• WEBINAR sign up: 'Opportunities in organic'
• Rates available for farmers
• 2020 key dates
• Eligibility
• How to apply
• Get in touch

 

Why consider organic conversion?

With the UK organic market now entering its ninth consecutive year of growth and the UK Government prioritising environment and soil health in the new Agricultural Bill, there are opportunities for farmers to certify and convert to organic. In addition organic conversion funding options are over a 5 year agreement with increased payments for the first 2 years, providing a financial boost for farmers through their conversion period. The new Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) is expected to start in 2024 however the Government has promised that there will be flexibility to allow farmers entering Countryside Stewardship to transfer to ELMS if they wish so this shouldn’t be a deterrent for applying for funding now.

• WEBINAR: Opportunities in organic conversion - 4 June, 10am

  Learn about the business opportunities in organic farming, the financial support available through the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and the organic certification and conversion process. Join us to hear from an expert panel of speakers, including representatives from Natural England and Soil Association Certification.

  Register for free

Rates on offer for organic conversion and maintenance

Payments for Countryside Stewardship funding are split across Mid-Tier schemes, which deliver a broad range of environmental benefits and Higher-Tier schemes, which support the most environmentally significant sites and requires more complex management. Agreements are over 5 years and conversion payments will normally be paid for up to 2 years, except for permanent crops such as fruit trees where a 3 year conversion period applies. Subsequent years are paid at the management rate.

Total payment per ha per year	Conversions rates (first 2 years)	Management rate (subsequent 3 years)
Rotational land	£175	£65
Improved Grassland	£75	£40
Unimproved Grassland	£50	£20
Horticultural land	£400	£200
Top Fruit	£450	£300
Enclosed rough grazing	-	£8

 

2020 key dates

The application and closing dates depend on whether you're making a Mid- or Higher-Tier application. 

Higher-Tier dates

• 31 March deadline for application pack request
• 1 May application deadline

Mid-Tier dates

• 31 May deadline for paper & phone application pack request & CSFO endorsement request
• 30 June online application pack request
• 31 July application deadline

Agreement start date

• Both Higher-Tier and Mid-Tier agreements will start on 1^st January 2021 and last for 5 years. 

 

Eligibility

In order to qualify for Countryside Stewardship funding, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must be an active farmer
• Land parcels you want to include in your application must be registered in the Rural Payments service and linked to your single business identifier
• You must have full management control of the land for 5 years from the start of your agreement.
• You must certify with a registered organic certification body, such as Soil Association Certification, have started conversion by 1st January 2021 and maintain your organic registration through to the end of the agreement.
• Organic Conversion payments are not available on land where your business has previously been entered for, or received any Organic Conversion payments under a previous scheme, such as Organic Entry Level Stewardship (OELS).

 

How to apply

When applying for Countryside Stewardship funding for organic conversion and maintenance, there are two key steps you will need to follow:

1. You must apply for the Countryside Stewardship funding directly with the Rural Payments Agency. Please visit their website for further information and a step by step guide to applying for Countryside Stewardship.

2. You must also register with an organic certification body such as Soil Association Certification. This can be done either before or after applying for Countryside Stewardship funding. You will need to complete different steps in each case.

• Before applying for Countryside Stewardship funding: You must complete a conversion plan, which must be approved and signed off by an organic certification body like Soil Association Certification. This conversion plan will then need to be submitted as part of your application to Rural payments. We can help - Get in touch with our expert farming team to discuss how we can support you with this.
• After applying for Countryside Stewardship funding: If you want to apply for funding via the Rural Payments Agency before having had a Conversion Plan approved by a certification body, you must complete a Viability Plan, which must be submitted to the Rural Payments Agency along with your funding application. If you use a Viability Plan you must get an approved and signed-off Conversion Plan from your organic certification body and have started conversion before the agreement start date of 1^st Jan 2021.

If you choose to certify with Soil Association Certification, we offer discounted conversion fees to support you through your transition period. Find out more about the application process and fees.

• Get in touch

  Soil Association Certification is the UK’s leading organic certifier supporting thousands of farmers to convert to organic and grow their organic businesses. Get in touch with our expert farming certification team to find out how organic conversion and certification could work on your farm.

  Get in touch