If you are searching for "FETF 2027", here is the honest position: there is no FETF 2027 application window, budget or opening date announced yet — and DEFRA has said the scheme will not return in its current form. This article sets out exactly what has been said officially, what has not, and what is open right now.
What DEFRA has actually said
Announcing the 2026 round, the DEFRA Farming Blog stated: "This will be the final standalone round of FETF in its current form. From 2027, we plan to build on what has worked well across our grant schemes by bringing the strongest elements together, simplifying the application process and making it easier for farmers to access funding."
That is the whole of the official commitment: a combined, simplified grant offer from 2027. As of late July 2026, DEFRA has not published the new scheme's name, structure, budget, eligible items or opening date. Any article quoting "FETF 2027 deadlines" is guessing.
Where FETF 2026 stands now
The final standalone round drew heavy demand — the application window was extended once, closing at midday on 12 May 2026. In June, DEFRA confirmed that grant funding agreements are now being issued to almost 7,000 successful applicants: around 3,600 in animal health and welfare, 2,200 in productivity and 900 in slurry management.
Those numbers matter for 2027 planning: they are the clearest signal of how oversubscribed a combined scheme is likely to be, and how quickly a window can close once it opens. We covered what the £50 million round funded in our earlier piece: FETF 2026 has closed — what £50m funded.
What you can apply for while you wait
Capital investment support has not stopped. The Capital Grants 2026 offer puts £225 million into capital items this year, with applications opening in July 2026. It covers six groups — boundaries, trees and orchards; water quality; air quality; natural flood management; assessments; and improvements — with caps of up to £25,000 for the air, water and flood groups and up to £35,000 for boundaries, trees and orchards, one application per Single Business Identifier. DEFRA notes demand for last year's offer was very high.
How to be ready for the 2027 offer
The farms that benefit from grant windows are the ones that already know what they want to buy and why. Keep a costed wishlist of equipment tied to a specific problem on your holding, keep the evidence (quotes, specs, the field data that justifies the purchase), and watch the DEFRA Farming Blog, where the 2027 offer will be announced. Our guide to precision agriculture in the UK covers the technology landscape the funding supports — and if you subscribe on this page with grant alerts ticked, we will email you when the 2027 scheme is announced.
Sources
- DEFRA Farming Blog — FETF 2026: apply now (17 March 2026, includes the 2027 statement)
- DEFRA Farming Blog — FETF 2026 grant funding agreements now being issued (22 June 2026)
- GOV.UK — Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2026
- DEFRA Farming Blog — Capital Grants 2026: guidance now available (28 May 2026)
Position as of 27 July 2026. Grant terms and timings are set by DEFRA and the RPA — check the official pages for the current position before making decisions. We will update this page when the 2027 offer is announced.