Guidance

About the Slurry Infrastructure grant, who can apply and what it can pay for

Updated 12 March 2024

Applies to England

This round of the Slurry Infrastructure grant has now closed for applications. If you are interested in applying for a grant in the current round, read the Slurry Infrastructure grant Round 2 guidance.

You can apply for a grant to improve or expand your slurry storage capacity to 6 months based on existing livestock numbers. This will help you improve the use of organic nutrients on your farm and reduce pollution.

This grant is only available for slurry stores located in England.

Slurry is defined by the Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (England) Regulations 2010 (SSAFO) as: “liquid or semi-liquid matter composed of excreta produced by livestock while in a yard or building (including that held in wood chip corrals); or a mixture wholly or mainly consisting of livestock excreta, livestock bedding, rainwater and washings from a building or yard used by livestock, of a consistency that allows it to be pumped or discharged by gravity at any stage in the handling process”.

The grant is available to help replace, build additional or expand existing slurry stores to provide 6 months’ storage.

You must fit your grant funded store with an impermeable cover, unless you are installing a slurry bag or you treat your slurry through acidification.

You can use this grant for slurry stores including tanks, lagoons and concrete stores fitted with impermeable covers and large permanent bags. The grant will also fund items necessary for the basic functioning of new or expanded slurry stores, such as reception pits, slurry pumps and agitators.

The Slurry Infrastructure grant uses standard costs to work out the maximum amount of grant you could get. You will be able to claim the standard cost per item or 50% of the total invoice costs, whichever is the lower amount.

The grant helps farmers invest in future-proofed slurry infrastructure. This will help to:

• make better use of organic nutrients
• improve water quality
• improve air quality
• reduce greenhouse gases

The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will prioritise projects which have the greatest environmental benefit. If oversubscribed in the first round, RPA will prioritise projects in areas that need urgent action to:

• reduce nutrient pollution from agriculture
• restore natural habitats

You can find out more about how Defra identified these areas, if your farm is in one, and how RPA will shortlist applicants.

There will be future opportunities to apply for this grant if your project is not selected in the first round.

Who can apply

You can apply for a Slurry Infrastructure grant if your farming system already produces slurry, and you farm:

• pigs
• beef
• dairy

Both land owning and tenant farmers can apply. The slurry store must be built on land you own or farm as a tenant.

If you are a tenant, it is your responsibility to obtain any necessary permissions from your landlord.

You will also need to confirm that you will have a tenancy agreement in place for the duration of the grant funding agreement (5 years after the date of final payment). You can still apply if your current agreement is shorter than 5 years if you expect it to continue.

Who cannot apply

You cannot get grant funding if you:

• already have 6 months’ serviceable slurry storage
• do not currently produce slurry
• intend to use the store for anything other than storing slurry

The following groups are not eligible for a grant:

• other types of farms for example poultry, sheep, arable-only farmers
• horticultural growers
• farming businesses that only provide contractor services
• public organisations, including Crown bodies and non-departmental public bodies
• local authorities

What the grant can pay for

You can choose from different types of stores, store covers and store accessories. All items must meet the specifications.

Types of slurry store

You can use the grant to pay for:

• above-ground steel slurry stores
• precast circular concrete slurry stores
• earth bank lagoons without synthetic liner
• earth bank lagoons with synthetic liner
• stores using precast rectangular concrete panels
• large volume supported slurry bags (over 2,500 cubic metres (m³))

Types of slurry covers

You must fit new or expanded stores with an impermeable cover unless you are installing a slurry bag or using acidification. This will prevent rainwater from entering the store and reduce ammonia emissions.

Acidification is the use of acid treatment or other technologies (such as plasma treatment) to lower and maintain the pH value of slurry to below 6 at the point of storage. Stabilising the pH of slurry substantially reduces ammonia emissions. To be exempt from covering your store, you must be able to acidify all your slurry before you apply. You cannot use this grant to pay for slurry acidification systems.

You can use the grant to pay for a:

• fixed flexible cover
• floating flexible cover

You can only use the slurry infrastructure grant for covers for new or expanded stores. You cannot use this grant for a cover only.

Slurry store accessories

You can also use the grant to pay for additional items for your grant funded slurry store, such as:

• a reception pit
• electric-powered slurry transfer pump
• powered take off (PTO) or hydraulically driven chopper pump
• galvanised steel pipework 100mm or 150mm diameter
• polyethylene (PE) or equivalent pipework 100mm or 150mm diameter
• under-floor transfer channels
• slurry store wall or in-situ mixers
• inspection platform with ladder for above-ground concrete and steel slurry stores
• safety fencing for stores constructed below ground level, earth-bank lagoons and slurry bags

For the full list of accessories and more details, read the item specifications. All items bought must meet the minimum specification.

If you intend to purchase any second-hand slurry store accessories, you will need to obtain confirmation from the supplier that it has a 5-year life and has not received previous grant funding.

You cannot incur any eligible costs before the start date on your grant funding agreement. You must not:

• commit to any eligible costs as set out in the specifications (including paying deposits)
• place an order
• start construction work

You can do work to prepare for your project before you apply, such as seeking quotes from suppliers, soil sampling and applying for planning permission.

Any costs you incur before the start date on your grant funding agreement are at your own risk and may make your whole project ineligible if it is considered to have been started.

What the grant cannot pay for

The following costs are not eligible for grant funding (this list is not exhaustive):

• planning permission
• demolition and removal of old slurry stores
• repairs and maintenance of existing slurry stores
• second-hand slurry stores, covers and infrastructure
• projects where contracts have been entered into or construction has started
• any costs incurred before the project start date shown in the grant funding agreement
• in kind contributions (this means the value of donated work or services) such as the cost of using your own labour, vehicle and office space
• weeping wall stores
• slatted floor cellar stores under livestock accommodation
• in-situ concrete stores
• low volume or temporary slurry bags, which are not kept in a permanent bund
• anaerobic digestion (AD) plants
• the processing or storage of digestate from an AD plant
• slurry acidification systems
• permeable slurry store covers like free-floating plastic plates, lightweight clay aggregate (LECA) balls, high density polyethylene (HDPE) water-filled balls or chopped straw
• roofing yards, wash-down areas, manure storage areas, livestock gathering areas, silage stores
• separators and supporting towers or pumps
• power generation, for example solar panels
• concreting yard areas

You may be able to apply for other grants to fund some of these items.

Scheme rules for improving storage

This grant will help farmers build 6 months’ slurry storage capacity based on existing livestock numbers.

You can still apply if you plan to expand your capacity beyond 6 months, but the grant will only cover up to 6 months’ worth of storage based on existing livestock numbers.

Existing livestock numbers means the typical number of animals you kept on the farm over the last year. The last year is counted from the point you submit your full application.

Grant-funded projects will need to maintain 6 months’ storage capacity for all animals on the holding for the duration for the grant funding agreement, irrespective of future livestock numbers. This means you’ll need to make appropriate upgrades to your storage and slurry management if you increase your herd size in the future.

You can use the grant to:

• replace existing stores that are no longer fit for purpose
• add additional storage, if other stores that will stay part of your system meet slurry storage regulations, were built to relevant standards and remain fit for purpose
• expand an existing store, for example by adding another ring to a suitable steel tank (the existing store must be structurally suitable for expanding and covering and will meet the specifications, including current regulations and build standards, when complete)

A store is no longer fit for purpose if it has reached the end of its design life and could be susceptible to leaks or failure.

The regulations you must follow when planning your slurry storage are:

• The Water Resources (Control of Pollution) (Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) (England) Regulations 2010 (see guidance on storing slurry for more information)
• The Nitrate Pollution Prevention (Amendment) Regulations 2016 (see guidance on storing organic manures in nitrate vulnerable zones (NVZs) for more information)
• The Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018 (see the Farming Rules for Water (FRfW) guidance for more information)
• The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016 (EPR), which include protections for groundwater

Defra, the Environment Agency and RPA have produced resources to help you understand these regulations when planning your store.

If you replace a store that is not fit for purpose, you must stop using the old store for slurry or other organic material.

How the grant works

You’ll need to follow a 2-stage application process.

Stage 1: Before you complete the online checker, you must have a good understanding of your current and future slurry storage requirements. The slurry wizard tool can help you do this. Then, use the online checker to see if you’re eligible and to check how much grant you might get, based on your storage needs. If demand is high, RPA will prioritise projects that have the greatest environmental benefit, based on location.

Stage 2: If you’re eligible and your project is prioritised due to its environmental benefits, you’ll be invited to make a full application.

If your full application is eligible and you meet all the conditions, RPA will offer you a grant.

How to work out your slurry storage needs

Use the slurry wizard to work out your slurry storage needs. You will need to complete the July 2022 version. If you do not have a copy of this, you can email FTF@rpa.gov.uk to ask for one.

For information on completing the slurry wizard read the How to fill in a Slurry Infrastructure grant full application guidance on GOV.UK. Do not use the slurry wizard user guide on the AHDB website as this covers aspects of the slurry wizard not required for SIG applicants.

The slurry wizard works out the volume of slurry that the farm will produce on a monthly basis. Use it to calculate how long it takes to fill the available storage and whether you need more capacity to reach 6 months.

When working out storage, you must account for all sources of slurry on the farm. There are also rules and regulations you must follow when deciding where to locate your store and what design store to build.

How much money you can apply for

The minimum grant you can apply for is £25,000. The maximum grant is £250,000 for each applicant business.

The grant is paid in arrears. You can make a maximum of 3 claims over the duration of the project. You must have sufficient funds to pay for all items in full before claiming your grant payment. You can use loans, overdrafts and certain other grants, such as the Basic Payment Scheme or agri-environment schemes.

You cannot use:

• other public money (for example grant funding from local authorities) towards the project costs
• this grant to carry out capital works which are required under other agreements

Your final grant payment will be based on the standard cost contribution for the items you need or 50% of the actual invoice costs at claim stage, whichever is the lower amount. This helps ensure the grant fund is distributed fairly.

You must also make sure no items in your application are replacements covered by an insurance claim.

Businesses based in Northern Ireland

Any monies from the Slurry Infrastructure grant must not be used to cross-subsidise any related, linked, parent, subsidiary, partnership, joint venture businesses or operations based in Northern Ireland. Funds from this grant must be used solely for the purposes of England business operations only.