Guidance

How to apply for a veranda-only project as part of the Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare grant

Updated 28 May 2024

Applies to England

This guidance explains how to apply for funding to add a veranda onto existing laying hen or pullet housing.

The application process for the grant has 2 stages:

• Stage 1: online checker
• Stage 2: full application

1. Stage 1: online checker

Use our online checker to make an initial online application.

To be eligible to apply you will need to confirm that your project will meet a list of requirements linked to the grant funding priorities.

The online checker is expected to open at the end of June 2024.  

An invitation to make a full application will be sent to eligible applicants on a first-come first-serve basis.

1.1 Waiting list

If the value of applications received reaches the budget before the checker closing date, any further eligible applicants will be offered an option to join a waiting list for entry to Stage 2 of the application process. Waiting list applicants will be informed by email if they are invited for entry to Stage 2 of the application process. We will aim to contact eligible applicants within 4 weeks of the checker closing date.

1.2 What information you’ll need for the online checker 

You will need: 

• information about your business (including your County Parish Holding (CPH) number, type of farmer, legal status, landowner status)
• information about the project (for example, the dimensions of the existing housing and build specification)
• information about any required planning permission
• an estimate of the total cost of the project

2. Stage 2: full application

If you’re eligible to apply, and you submit your Stage 1 application before all of the veranda-only budget is allocated, we’ll invite you to make a full application and send you the application forms.

You will need to fill in the full application forms and send these, with your supporting documents, to RPA by email to FTF@rpa.gov.uk.

2.1 What you’ll need for your full application forms  

You will need to provide more details about your project.

Use the:

• same project that you used in your Stage 1:  online application
• project number provided by RPA in your invitation to apply for a full application

We know that some minor project details may change after you complete the online checker, such as changes to project costs as they are finalised. However, the main details of your project should not be significantly different to your online application.

If you need to discuss significant changes to your project, you’ll need to contact RPA by email before you submit your full application.  If the full application is significantly different, the application may be rejected.

2.2. What information you need to provide at full application

The full application is in 2 parts, a Word form and an Excel spreadsheet.

You’ll need to provide:

• information about you, your business and project
• evidence to show that your business is an egg producing or pullet rearing business with 1000+ birds
• a breakdown of project costs
• supplier details
• an explanation of how the project will be funded
• scale plans showing the building design and layout
• the number of birds housed within the housing   

2.3 Other supporting documents

You will need to provide the following supporting documents:

• a copy of a signed and dated tenancy agreement with the owners of the land or buildings at the project location, if the applicant business does not own them
• a letter from your landlord underwriting the application, if using this option
• financial accounts for the most recent 3 years of trading
• latest tax returns, management accounts, or a statement of income and expenses from an accountant if you have been trading for less than 2 years
• 3 quotes, references to catalogue listings or formal tenders for each item valued at £5,000 or more
• one quote for any item valued up to £4,999.99
• evidence of availability of your project funding
• evidence where you are eligible to, and intend to, include irrecoverable VAT in your project costs (such as a letter from a Chartered Accountant or HMRC)
• planning permission approval (where applicable) - when applying for planning permission, please state in your application that your project is being submitted as part of the Defra Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare grant
• other relevant permissions and consents (where applicable) – this may require you to apply for a new or update your existing environmental permit if you have more than 40,000 places for poultry

If your site currently has more than 40,000 bird places and your project will include changes to the permitted activity (for example, housing system, bird numbers or manure management), you will need to apply for an environmental permit variation.

You can use the Environment Agency’s pre-application advice service to make sure your permit application is correct.

3. How your application is assessed

If your project is still eligible at the full application stage, we will also assess your application based on the following criteria.

3.1. Financial viability

We will assess the current financial viability of your business and how you will fund the project until the grant is claimed.

3.2. Delivery and sustainability

We will assess how you’ll meet the project timelines and mitigate any risks to project delivery.

4. When you’ll find out if you’re successful

We aim to give you a decision on your application within 60 working days  from receipt of a complete full application.

If you are offered a grant, we will send a Grant Funding Agreement (GFA) for you to sign and return. This will set out the legal terms and conditions of the grant, including the:

• amount of the grant
• outputs we have agreed for your project
• information we require during the project for monitoring and evaluation activities

If you need to change anything in the GFA over the course of the project, you must get written agreement from RPA first. If you do not, we could end your agreement and reclaim any grant we have already paid. You’ll get more information and help with this if you are offered a grant.

5. If your application is unsuccessful

If your application is unsuccessful, we will write to you to tell you why. If you’re unhappy with the decision, you can complain to us in writing, by email or by telephone. If you remain unhappy with our decision, you may be able to appeal.

6. Contact RPA

Contact the Farming Transformation Fund (FTF) team at RPA if you’re not sure if you are eligible to apply, or if you are not able to access the online checker.

Email: FTF@rpa.gov.uk

Telephone: 0300 0200 301 and follow options for the Farming Transformation Fund scheme.

Post:

Farming Transformation Fund
Grants Service
Rural Payments Agency
Sterling House
Dix’s Field
Exeter
EX1 1QA