The 2026 round of the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) — the grant that helps farmers buy productivity and technology kit — has closed. Even though you can no longer apply this round, it is worth understanding what it funded, because it signals where support for precision technology is heading.
The window has closed
The gov.uk FETF 2026 page confirms the application window opened on 17 March 2026 and closed at midday on 12 May 2026. If you missed it, the relevant move is to prepare for the next opportunity (see below).
How the £50 million was split
According to the DEFRA Farming Blog, FETF 2026 made £50 million available across three themes:
- £20 million for productivity
- £20 million for animal health and welfare
- £10 million for slurry management
Grants ran from £1,000 to £25,000 per theme, with a maximum of £75,000 if a business applied across all three. In total there were 290 eligible items.
The precision-relevant kit it covered
Among the eligible items, DEFRA highlighted equipment directly relevant to data-led farming, including irrigation sensors, irrigation controllers, automatic weighing and drafting crates, and electronic identification (EID) readers — the building blocks of monitoring and variable management on farm.
Why 2027 matters
DEFRA has confirmed this is the final standalone round of FETF in its current form. From 2027, the government plans to "build on what has worked well across our grant schemes by bringing the strongest elements together" — meaning a single, simplified offer rather than separate funds. If you are planning technology investment, it is worth watching for that consolidated scheme.
Plan your technology roadmap now
Grant rounds open and close quickly, so the farms that benefit are the ones that already know what they want to buy and why. Our guide to precision agriculture in the UK walks through the technologies, the adoption picture and the funding landscape, and our free farm tools help you put the data to work today.
Sources
- GOV.UK — Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2026
- DEFRA Farming Blog — FETF 2026: apply now for equipment and technology grants
Grant terms and timings are set by DEFRA and the RPA. Check the official pages for the current position before making any purchase decisions.