Woodland improvement grant scheme extended – apply now!

The Woodfuel Woodland Improvement Grant (WIG) has been extended and is open for applications – but only until the end of September this year. If you have any roads schemes in mind get your applications in as soon as possible.

The Woodfuel WIG funds access projects which will enable the sustainable extraction of timber from woodland where it is currently inaccessible.

It can also pay for professional support measuring and marketing timber from under-managed compartments.

The current grant covers up to 60% of the cost of work and can be used to fund development on every type of forest road, from quad bike tracks to haul roads for 44 tonne timber wagons, and everything in between. 

Funded work could include the installation of new roads, loading bays or entrance gates, or repairs to faults along access routes, such as damaged bridges and drainage repair.

The timescale for the application process is as follows:

• End of September 2014 – All grant applications must be submitted
• End of December 2014 – Contracts must be signed
• End of September 2015 – All work must be completed and claimed for

Previous grants handed out include £9,600 to improve access roads to a woodland area; £7,500 for the construction of long haul extraction tracks, loading bays and bridge repairs; and £50,000 for the creation of access tracks to a previously unmanageable area of land.

Click here to read about these and other grants awarded by the Woodfuel WIG scheme.

A series of videos have also been produced to help potential applicants - the first of these can be found here.

To find out more about getting a Woodfuel Woodland Improvement Grant, contact Mike Furness on 01494 568970 / mike.furness@ngagesolutions.co.uk.

The grant is delivered by Ngage Solutions across the South East, South West and the county of Cumbria, on behalf of The Forestry Commission.

Woodfuel WIG - FREE whole-day workshop

Make your woodland pay its way

A step by step guide to applying for grant funding for roads projects, and to  help bring woodland back into management, has been produced by Ngage, the company responsible for managing the Woodfuel Woodland Improvement Grant (WWIG) on behalf of the Forestry Commission.

WWIG provides a valuable, government funded scheme that has been specifically designed to turn un-managed woodland into productive land.


Mike Furness, Project Manager at Ngage Solutions has written a helpful blog with a simple step-by-step guide for potential grant applicants. It is published on the Ngage website.

Mike is keen to assist woodland owners, to take advantage of this opportunity to make their woods more productive. There is money available for both road and timber projects, and Mike will be happy to talk through proposals even before an application is submitted to help candidates maximise their chances of successful application.


Ngage Solutions is administering the WWIG on behalf of the Forestry Commission in three regions: Cumbria, the South West and the South East. 


This grant is time limited, so act now to find out more about the scheme.


Contact Mike Furness, Project Manager Ngage Solutions Ltd,  on 01494 568970 or 07795 515 413, or by emailing Mike.


To find out more about Woodfuel WIG come and see the Forestry Commission at the APF show 13 1- 5 September stand G4.


For interested readers the Forestry Commission has some guidance on forest roads which can be found here. You will quickly see that it is a technical subject and in many cases it may be far simpler to just call Mike and ask for support!

National biomass suppliers database launched

The Forestry Commission’s Biomass Energy Centre (BEC) and the Carbon Trust have jointly launched the National Biomass Suppliers Database - a new way for people to find local and national companies which can supply them with woodfuel.

Since the introduction of the Renewable Heating Incentive (RHI), many more people are considering installing woodfuel-powered heating, but they are often unaware that the woodfuel supply chain is well established in many parts of the country.

The new map-based listing, which is also available on the Biomass Energy Centre website, includes the details of around 300 fuel suppliers operating across the UK.

The new system will make it easy to find the nearest, or preferable, fuel supplier, and the service is free - woodfuel suppliers can be included simply by registering and submitting their details online.

Forestry Commission England recently announced its Woodfuel Woodland Improvement Grant, which will increase the amount of wood entering the supply chain from currently under-managed woodlands.

Good turnout at Woodfuel Pathfinder contractors event

The function room at the Dog & Bear in Lenham was packed to the gunwales last Thursday as forestry contractors from Kent and Sussex gathered for a roller coaster update on apprenticeships and training, grants and the evolving market for woodland products.

Around 70 people representing a wide range of businesses with an interest in the forestry and woodland management sectors attended the event.  There was a lot of interest in the new woodfuel grant (WF WIG) from the Forestry Commission, LEADER and the new Farm and Forestry Investment Scheme (FFIS). 

Mike Furness from Ngage Solutions, the company responsible for delivering the WF WIG in the South East said:

"It was great to have a packed room to spread the word to.  We have already had two firm follow-up calls for significant roading schemes as a result of the event and we would encourage anyone with an interest to get in touch."

Feedback since the event also suggests a high level of interest in the LEADER and FFIS schemes, both of which are designed to assist rural businesses invest in green projects and new machinery.

There was a lot of debate on the night about how potential apprentices could be identified and retained in the forestry sector.  Some delegates also raised concerns about the cost of equipment and training for new staff.  However, a quick show of hands revealed that six businesses were considering taking on apprentices.  The training providers in attendance at the event (Plumpton College and Concept Training) also expressed great interest in supporting these businesses with work-based learning for apprentices.

The Forestry Commission provided a summary of how markets for woodland products, and in particular wood fuel, are developing and highlighted several examples of installed biomass heating schemes and local wood chip supply chains.

As the evening progressed a clear message emerged: A good package of support for the land-based sector still exists, and with the recent announcement of two major new grants (with a combined total of £30m funding) now is the time to pick up the phone and find out how your business can take advantage. 

The presentations from the event can be found here:

• Introduction
• Evolving market opportunities
• Woodfuel WIG
• LEADER and FFIS
• Plumpton College
• Apprentices

The imminent opening of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) at the end of November will provide a strong market-based opportunity for the forestry sector over the next few years.  If your business needs support on any of the subjects covered in this article then please do not hesitate to get in touch with the Kent Downs Woodfuel Pathfinder on 01303 815 171 or matthew.morris@kentdowns.org.uk.

£20m for farming, forestry and horticultural businesses

Alan TYERS - Hayrolls, Highdown Farm
http://www.redraggallery.co.uk/

A new £20 million fund to help farming, forestry and horticultural businesses to become more efficient at using resources has been launched. The scheme aims to help businesses to become more competitive and more profitable, whilst reducing the impact of farming on the environment.

This announcement comes only a few days after the launch of the new £10m Woodfuel Woodland Improvement Grant by the Forestry Commission.

Farmers, foresters, woodland owners, agricultural contractors and horticulturalists can apply for grants of up to £25,000 to invest in green projects, new machinery and improvements to animal health and welfare so their businesses can grow in an environmentally friendly way.

The Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme will fund projects that:

• save energy and reduce carbon emissions
• reduce dependence on artificial fertilizers through better use of manures
• improve soil quality
• improve animal health and welfare
• save and recycle water
• promote woodland management by processing timber more efficiently

In Kent the LEADER programme has been very successful at providing RDPE grants for a wide variety of land-based and rural businesses.  It is understood that the new FFIS scheme may replace LEADER, although there is underspend in some other regions and this may be used to top-up the Kent LEADERs (providing there is enough demand to warrant an extension).

More information on LEADER, the new FFIS scheme and a range of other topics will be provided at our forthcoming contractors event at the Dog & Bear (Lenham) on Thursday, November 17th. 

There are still some places left so please contact us if you would like to come along (matthew.morris@kentdowns.org.uk , 01303 815 171).

For more information go to http://rdpenetwork.defra.gov.uk/funding-sources/farm-and-forestry-improvement-scheme.

£10m to boost woodland management for woodfuel

A new £10m grant scheme to revitalise woodland management has been announced by Forestry Commission England today, 10 November 2011. The new scheme aims to produce woodfuel by improving roads and access for extraction.

Around half of England’s woodlands are undermanaged. There are many reasons for this but one is certainly the high cost of extracting timber so that it can be brought to market. Supporting owners and managers to improve roads and access will reduce harvesting costs and once again make woodland management economically viable.

Pam Warhurst, Forestry Commission Chair said:

“There is an old phrase that says “A wood that pays is a wood that stays.” We are delighted to be able to launch this new scheme to revitalise the economic viability of sustainable woodland management by helping get timber to market. It will create rural jobs and help grow the green economy.”

Applicants will have to have long term management plans for the woodlands that meet the new UK Forestry Standard.  The plans will say how much timber they expect to harvest over the next decade so we will be able to see clearly what the benefits are from each new road built.

The new Woodfuel Woodland Improvement Grant (or Woodfuel WIG), will improve the infrastructure of undermanaged woodlands and contribute to the costs of marketing timber. As well as supplying the growing woodfuel market from thinnings and other operations, well managed woodland can also produce high quality timber. In turn this management improves the quality of woodlands for wildlife.

Woodfuel WIG is available throughout England but most of the funds are targeted towards the South East, South West and Cumbria, where there is greater potential for woodfuel supply.

This new grant is open for applications now and will operate alongside the Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme, recently launched by Defra to provide comprehensive support to the woodfuel supply chain.

Woodfuel Woodland Improvement grant key features

• This new grant supports the sustainable production of woodfuel and other timber products and runs to the end of the 2013/14 financial year
• Work will need to meet the UK Foresty Standard
• The grant offers 60% towards the cost of work, and doesn’t take account of the timber income that results
• To apply for a Woodfuel WIG, applicants must have an approved, up to date Woodland Management Plan, and work must be completed and claimed for by 28 February 2014

The following main operations are supported:

• Roads, tracks and other infrastructure to assist the extraction of timber from woodland. Support will be based on 3 quotes and grant paid on the production of receipted invoices
• Woodland inventory and costs associated with managing harvesting contracts. Support for this work is based on standard costs

Woodland Contractors Workshop - Nov 17th, Lenham, Kent

Kent Downs Woodfuel Pathfinder: Woodland Contractors Workshop

Dog & Bear (Lenham, Kent) on November 17^th at 7pm – Free Buffet

After many years the markets for Kent’s woodland products are improving, woodfuel is starting to provide opportunities for lower quality material (particularly at a local level) and people are increasingly recognising the value of wood as a sustainable product. 

If, as an industry, we are to take advantage of these developments we need a robust and evolving network of woodland contractors.  Appreciating that there is a huge range of business models we would like to better understand what would help existing contractors develop their businesses to respond to the improving conditions.

The workshop will also provide an update on support available to the sector including:

·         The evolving market opportunities

·         The FC’s new Woodfuel Woodland Improvement Grant

·         Grant support for machinery & business development

·         Funding for apprentices

The Kent Downs Woodfuel Pathfinder is a joint Forestry Commission and Kent County Council project (with funding from the EU ERDF Interreg IVa programme) exploring what temporary support would help the woodland industry evolve to become fully self-supporting delivering:

•              Market driven sustainable management of Kent’s woodlands

•              Maintenance of Kent’s landscape character & secure local jobs

•              Carbon lean & sustainably sourced fuel for local heat

Over 70 contractors from Kent, Surrey and Sussex are being invited to this event.  It provides an opportunity to tell us what would help YOU, learn about new initiatives and network with other companies operating in the sector. 

Places are limited.  Please email matthew.morris@kentdowns.org.uk (or call 01303 815 171) to reserve a seat.

Woodfuel Woodland Improvement Grant open for applications

The value of wood as a sustainable resource, either as timber or as woodfuel is growing.

The Kent Downs has a long history of traditional coppice management and is well suited to respond to such market led opportunities.

Of course, sensitive and sustainable woodland management is crucial to the character and ecology of the Kent Downs and provides jobs for local people.  However, traditional sweet chestnut products are growing in popularity and new products are being developed.

The growing market for wood as a sustainable fuel, encouraged by the Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and the Kent Downs Woodfuel Pathfinder offers market opportunities for the lowest quality wood and ‘offcuts’ produced when creating other wood products.

The greatest opportunities lie in:

• Using your own wood to supply your own heat needs;
• Adding value to your lower quality wood by selling woodfuel locally, or
• By selling the end product - heat.

The volatility and the inevitability of increasing prices of fossil fuel means locally produced woodfuel offers a secure and sustainable supply where production and supply is undertaken by local people.

The Woodfuel Woodland Improvement Grant offers support of 60% of the costs of:

• roads, loading areas, tracks and other infrastructure which will allow you to harvest wood products;
• assessing the amount of timber which could be sustainably harvested; and
• the costs of managing harvesting contracts.

Further details can be found on the Forestry Commission website.

If you are interested you will first need an approved woodland management plan, for which the Forestry Commission also offer support through the Woodland Planning Grant.

Contact your local Woodland Officer for further information.