Making Woodland Work: How grants can help your forestry business

Forestry Commission - FREE events

Following on from the success of last year, the Forestry Commission is co-ordinating a further round of events and advice to provide support to forestry businesses that are thinking of applying for financial support, including grants from the Rural Development Programme (e.g. Countryside Productivity, LEADER and Growth Funds from Local Enterprise Partnerships).

These may offer grants for:

• Timber and woodfuel harvesting, extraction and primary processing equipment
• Storage to season woodfuel
• Training
• Business support
• Co-operation, collaboration and advisory services

Advice & information clinics

• An opportunity to seek 1:1 advice about the support that may be available to help you expand and/or diversify your forestry business.
• Join us on the Forestry Commission stand on Friday 18th September at the Bentley Wood Fair OR Saturday 3rd October at the Surrey Hills Wood Fair.

“Pie and Pint” evening workshops

Informal networking opportunities enabling you to catch up with sector colleagues, get an update on the latest market and grant developments, and to collectively discuss challenges and opportunities with like-minded colleagues.

Dates and venues are to be confirmed, but will be run during the first two weeks of November in the following locations:

• South west Hampshire
• Surrey / Sussex border (near Horsham)
• Berks / Bucks / Oxon
• Kent / East Sussex border

Please let us know if you are interested in attending by emailing southeast.fce@forestry.gsi.gov.uk with your contact details and your preferred location.

Application masterclass” workshops

An opportunity for you to go through Countryside Productivity Scheme and LEADER grant applications in detail, with opportunities to ask questions and discuss proposals.  Dates are to be confirmed, but will run in January 2016.  

Timing 3pm until 6pm in the following locations:

• Sylva Foundation, Little Wittenham (Oxfordshire)
• Alice Holt Research Station, near Farnham (Surrey)
• Woodland Enterprise Centre, Flimwell (East sussex)

To show your interest, please contact southeast.fce@forestry.gsi.gov.uk stating your preferred location.

Forestry & Woodfuel - Market Update - FREE evening seminar

The Kent Downs Woodfuel Pathfinder, in partnership with the Forestry Commission and the Deer Initiative, will present an update on the forestry and woodfuel sectors in Kent on November 20th.

This free event will focus on the changes taking place in the forestry sector and provide insights into future opportunities.  

In particular the event will look at how improving markets for chip wood, in part stimulated by a new biomass power station in East Kent, may require  enhanced mechanisation and collaboration among forestry businesses.

The event will take place at the Grasshopper Inn at Moorhouse on the A25 near Westerham.  The event will open at 6:30 pm and will include a free buffet.

More details can be found below.

To book your free tickets please click here.

This event is funded by the EU ERDF Interreg IVa Channel project ADAFOR.

Maximising Opportunities for the Forestry and Woodland Sectors

The RDPE Network, working with organisations from Forestry and Woodland sectors is holding a free workshop for members of the Forestry and Woodland Sectors on Thursday 8 March 2012 in Birmingham. 

• Location: Birmingham
• Date: Thursday 08, March 2012

This workshop provides the opportunities to discuss the recent changes to the RDPE Programme in relation to the Forestry and Woodland Sectors as well as giving you an opportunity to feed in your ideas with regards the post-2013 policy and implementation (see Draft agenda and booking form).

Please return your booking form by Friday 2 March 2012. Places are limited so return your booking form early to secure your place.

The focus of the day is discussion, so each session will provide a brief overview / case study to stimulate further dialogue.

The event is FREE to attend and refreshments and lunch will be provided.

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.