£1.5 Million Farmer Welfare Grant Now Open

Rural and agricultural charities and not-for-profit organisations can now apply for funding to support the mental health, wellbeing and resilience of farming communities.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has launched the Farmer Welfare Grant, providing a total of £1.5 million for projects supporting people working within the agricultural industry.

The programme will run from November 2026 to March 2029 and aims to strengthen both the personal wellbeing and business resilience of farmers, agricultural workers and farming communities.

Who can apply?

The funding is open to English charities and third-sector not-for-profit organisations that can deliver appropriate support for farmer health and welfare.

Both larger national organisations and smaller regional organisations are eligible to apply.

Projects could involve organisations working directly with farming communities through engagement and outreach, as well as organisations providing information, online services or routes into more tailored support.

What is the fund looking to support?

Defra has deliberately avoided prescribing exactly what funded projects should look like, recognising that farming communities, sectors and regions experience different pressures.

The main objectives are to:

• increase access to mental health support for agricultural workers
• increase take-up of agriculture-specific mental health support
• increase access to business resilience support within farming communities.

Projects addressing a number of priority areas are particularly welcomed, including rural isolation, early intervention and prevention, reducing mental health stigma, suicide prevention and removing barriers to accessing support.

Other areas highlighted include connecting physical health, farm safety, mental health and business resilience; supporting farming families and people working alongside farmers; engaging younger farmers; strengthening rural social connections; and providing business resilience support such as succession planning, managing change and leaving the industry.

Why is this funding important?

Farming can bring particular pressures that are often different from those experienced in other industries.

Defra highlights research from the Big Farming Survey, which identified links between the health of a farming business and the physical and mental wellbeing of the people running it. The fund therefore recognises the importance of providing support through organisations that understand farming communities and can build trusted relationships with the people they work alongside.

For organisations working within rural communities across the East Riding, this may present an opportunity to develop targeted approaches that reach people who can sometimes be isolated from more traditional services.

Partnership approaches may also be worth considering, particularly where organisations can bring together expertise in areas such as mental health, community engagement, rural outreach, social connection and business resilience.

Key dates

• Applications opened: 6 August 2026 at 4pm
• Deadline for clarification questions: 28 August 2026 at 5pm
• Application deadline: 9 September 2026 at 12 noon
• Successful applicants notified: 14 October 2026
• Delivery period: November 2026 – March 2029

Find out more and apply Full eligibility information, objectives and application details are available through the Government's Find a Grant service.

Applications close at 12 noon on 9 September 2026.