Grant aid for low-carbon farm projects

Farmers, crofters and agricultural organisations undertaking projects to tackle climate change are invited to apply for up to £70,000 in grant support for their work.

The Scottish Government’s Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund (KTIF) is open for applications until October 8 for projects due for completion by March.

The fund, which offers grants of up to £70,000 per project, aims to promote skills development and knowledge transfer in the primary agricultural sector.

Applications are sought from projects which aim to improve sustainability and support the sector to tackle climate change and the biodiversity crisis.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said the fund was designed to help farmers work together to address the climate change and biodiversity crises.

“We are looking for projects that will focus on the shift toward a low-carbon and climate resilient economy in the agriculture sector,” said Ms Gougeon.

“We need to turn existing knowledge into practical solutions that will benefit our country and help us meet our climate change targets.”

She said applications will be assessed on a number of criteria, including deliverability and how well the project benefits can be demonstrated.

“We’ll inform successful applicants in time for COP26, to show how farmers, crofters and land managers are working hard to change the sector for the better,” added Ms Gougeon.

RSPB Scotland is a previous KTIF funding recipient for its project, Bringing Diversity Back.

The charity’s advisory manager, Chris Bailey, said: “This funding, despite the challenges of Covid, allowed us to work with farmers of the Nature Friendly Farming Network to produce a series of case studies, films and an online event demonstrating how farmers from a range of farm and croft types across Scotland farm in a naturefriendly way supporting biodiversity and reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.”

Full details about KTIF, including how to apply, are available at ruralpayments.org

FIELD WORK: Grants are available for farm projects which help tackle climate change.