Grants applicable to OPICO distributed machinery

The fund includes three grants to help you buy equipment or technology to; improve productivity, manage slurry and improve animal health and welfare.

The window for applications opens on the 29th May 2025 and closes on the 10th July 2025. 

Percentage's of payments are based on the expected average cost of the item, not the invoiced cost.

Find below a list of the OPICO distributed machines that we believe are eligible for the grant.

*N.B. FETF 2025 is administered by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). All decisions on application approvals are made by the RPA. FETF 2025 grants are only available in England. Full details.

Eligible item: FarmDroid

(FETF218 - Robotic drill and guided hoe)

Item must:

• be a robotic drill and guided hoe
• precisely place seed in the ground
• mechanically weed between drilled rows
• mechanically weed between plants in rows
• be able to drill and hoe
• be able to operate autonomously in the field without an operator (apart from refilling the seed hopper)

Percentage paid towards item: 50%

Percentage based on RPA expected average cost of item

Eligible item: OPICO Variocast E (400L)

(FETF207 - Air drill for establishing cover crops)

Item must:

• be a pneumatic (air) drill
• be designed to be mounted on existing drills or soil tillage equipment
• have electronic metering
• be able to drill small cover crop seeds - for example, clover, mustard, phacelia
• use either pipes, coulters or spreader plates to place the seed
• have a minimum 3m drilling width
• have a seed hopper with a minimum 300L capacity

Percentage paid towards item: 50%

Percentage based on RPA expected average cost of item

Eligible item: OPICO Sward Lifter

(FETF112 - Grassland sward lifters)

Item must:

• be a grassland sward lifter
• have 3 minimum legs
• have adjustable depth control to a minimum 300mm
• have a cutting disc in front of each leg that cuts to a minimum 50mm depth
• have a packing roller behind each leg
• have a shear bolt or mechanical reset on each leg

Percentage paid towards item: 40%

Percentage based on RPA expected average cost of item

Eligible item: OPICO Camera-guided Inter-Row Cultivators

(FETF6 / FETF7 - Inter row hoe 3m/6m)

Item must:

• be an inter row hoe (hoeing between the crop rows)
• automatically distinguish between the crop row and weeds between the crop rows using camera recognition
• detect the position of the crop rows and automatically adjust the hoes to only remove weeds between the crop rows
• have a minimum 3m (FETF6) or 6m (FETF7) working width

Percentage paid towards item: 50%

Percentage based on RPA expected average cost of item

Eligible item: HE-VA Top Cutter Solo

(FETF110 - Cover crop roller)

Item must:

• be a cover crop roller to terminate or bruise cover crops before direct drilling
• have a minimum 3m working width
• have an uneven or ridged surface to help crimp or bruise the cover crop
• crimp or bruise the crop across the full working width of the roller

Flat rolls and rolls comprising of a series of rings are not eligible under this item.

Rollers which include cultivation equipment are not eligible.

Percentage paid towards item: 40%

Percentage based on RPA expected average cost of item

Eligible item: HE-VA Grassland Stealth

(FETF112 - Grassland sward lifters)

Item must:

• be a grassland sward lifter
• have 3 minimum legs
• have adjustable depth control to a minimum 300mm
• have a cutting disc in front of each leg that cuts to a minimum 50mm depth
• have a packing roller behind each leg
• have a shear bolt or mechanical reset on each leg

Percentage paid towards item: 40%

Percentage based on RPA expected average cost of item

Eligible item: HE-VA Top Strigle

(FETF208 - Tractor mounted stubble rake, 6m)

Item must:

• be a tractor mounted stubble rake
• have a minimum 6m working width
• only have rearwards facing straight tines without hooks or curves to lightly agitate the soil surface and spread crop residues evenly across the field
• break up damp mats of straw

Stubble rakes using any type or form of discs, packing rollers or crumbler rollers are not eligible.

Percentage paid towards item: 40%

Percentage based on RPA expected average cost of item

Eligible item: Alpego Flail Mower

(FETF200 - Tractor mounted flail mulcher for orchards and vineyards (large))

Item must:

• be a tractor mounted flail mulcher for orchards and vineyards
• be tractor PTO driven
• shred branches up to 6cm in diameter into woodchips
• have a 1.6m minimum working width
• have a 3.0m maximum working width

Percentage paid towards item: 40%

Percentage based on RPA expected average cost of item

If you'd like to discuss an eligible machine with a member of our Territory Management team, you can find their contact details here. 

FFIS is a capital grant scheme designed to help farmers and crofters in Scotland improve the environmental performance of their agricultural business.

The window for application opens on the 14th July 2025 and closes on the 22nd August 2025. 

The capital investment must deliver on one of the following objectives:

• improve business efficiency and sustainability
• protect, restore or enhance the environment
• reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• mitigate the effect of climate change

Find below a list of the OPICO distributed machinery (not exhaustive) that we believe are eligible for the grant when related to a certain scenario which would support a business in meeting one of the four objectives.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to put forward reasoning for how they believe their purchase will support their business meet one of the four objectives. Below are examples of possible scenarios. 

Full details. 

Solar-powered robotic drill and guided hoe

Scenario: A farmer currently plants seed with a drill and sprays the crops but decides to invest in a FarmDroid, which seeds and weeds whilst meeting the objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Grassland sward lifter

Scenario: A farmer has areas of compaction across their grazing fields and wants to reduce runoff and improve water infiltration when it rains, therefore invests in a OPICO Sward Lifter to mitigate the effect of climate change. 

Spring tine mechanical weeding harrow

Scenario: A farmer looking to reduce their reliance and use of herbicides decides to purchase a mechanical weeding tool such as an OPICO Comb Harrow to meet the objective of protecting the environment.

Tine harrows with seeder

Scenario: A farmer would like to get more yield from the same amount of grassland so decides to invest in a OPICO Grass Harrow & Seeder combination to be able to improve their grassland which in turn improves their business' efficiency and sustainability. 

Mechanical weeding inter-row cultivator

Scenario: A farmer looking to reduce reliance and use of herbicides decides to purchase a mechanical weeding tool such as an OPICO Inter-Row Cultivator to meet the objective of protecting the environment.

Retro-fit seed/cover crop applicator/seeder

Scenario: A farmer could drill cover crops/OSR/fodder root crops in one-pass with a OPICO Variocast Seeder mounted to a cultivator, instead of cultivating and then doing a second pass with a drill, which would reduce the amount of fuel burnt thus meeting the objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Straw rake

Scenario: A farmer is looking to transition towards a reduced tillage farming system to protect the environment so decides to invest in a HE-VA Top Strigle, an essential tool to used between combining and direct drilling. 

Multi-purpose cultivator

Scenario: If a farmer runs a ploughing system and wants to go to a minimum tillage system by purchasing a HE-VA Combi-Disc, this would meet the objective of improving business efficiency and sustainability.

Cover crop roller

Scenario: A farmer has decided to enhance the environment by growing cover crops but needs a way of managing/destructing said crop to improve the levels of organic matter in the soil, therefore purchases a HE-VA Top Cutter Solo. 

Subsoiler

Scenario: A farmer has areas of compaction and wants to reduce runoff and increase water infiltration when it rains, so invests in a HE-VA Subsoiler or Stealth to mitigate the effect of climate change. 

Grassland rejuvenator

Scenario: A farmer would like to get more yield from the same amount of grassland so decides to invest in a HE-VA Grass Rejuvenator to be able to improve their grassland which in tun improves their business' efficiency and sustainability. 

Diet feeders

Scenario: A farmer would like to improve the feed that they give to their livestock therefore decide to invest in a Strautmann Verti-Mix to improve the TMR fed to their livestock, leading to improved business efficiencies and sustainability.  

Multi-purpose cultivator

Scenario: If a farmer runs a ploughing system and wants to go to a minimum tillage system by purchasing a HE-VA Triple Tiller, this would meet the objective of improving business efficiency and sustainability.

Grassland rejuvenator

Scenario: A farmer would like to get more yield from the same amount of grassland so decides to invest in a HE-VA Grass-Combi to be able to improve their grassland which in turn improves their business' efficiency and sustainability. 

If you'd like to discuss an eligible machine with a member of our Territory Management team, you can find their contact details here. 

If you're interested in an eligible machine covered by the Small Grants Scheme - Efficiency, the first step is to apply for the eligible machine before the 11th April 2025.

If your application is approved, you will have 180 calendar days of the date of the contract offer to purchase and claim for all the items in your contract. 

The grant will be a maximum 40% contribution against actual invoiced costs up to the maximum referenced costs as stated within Annex A.

Below is a list of the OPICO distributed machines that we believe are eligible. 

Full details.

Investment item: Subsoiler

Eligible Item: OPICO Sward Lifter

Specification:

• minimum working width of 2.7m
• minimum two legs
• cutting disc preceding each subsoil leg
• rear roller for consolidation
• depth control

Investment item: Micro Seeder

Eligible Item: OPICO Variocast E

Specification:

• small seeder, suitable for sowing small seeds such as grass, clover, rape, stubble turnips etc
• minimum hopper size 75 litres
• powered by an electric motor
• ability to calibrate and adjust application rate
• electronic on/off control system
• can be fitted to min-till cultivator, tractor or ATV

Investment item: Arable Crop Roller

Eligible Item: HE-VA King Roller, Tip Roller XL, Tip Roller

Specification:

Multi-section horizontal Cambridge/ring roller, comprising:

• hydraulic fold and transport wheels
• minimum working width of 6.15m
• plain or breaker rings

Investment item: Minimum Tillage/Cultivator

Eligible Item: HE-VA Combi-Disc

Specification:

Multi-component one pass/reduced cultivation machine consisting of:

• a minimum of three different soil engaging parts
• two of the soil engaging parts to be separate rows of either fixed, tines, discs, loosening legs or spring tines
• third soil engaging part must be a rear packer, crumbler, roller, rings or shouldered rings
• minimum of 3m working width

Investment item: Minimum Tillage/Cultivator

Eligible Item: HE-VA Triple Tiller

Specification:

Multi-component one pass/reduced cultivation machine consisting of:

• a minimum of three different soil engaging parts
• two of the soil engaging parts to be separate rows of either fixed, tines, discs, loosening legs or spring tines
• third soil engaging part must be a rear packer, crumbler, roller, rings or shouldered rings
• minimum of 3m working width

Investment item: Subsoiler

Eligible Item: HE-VA Stealth

Specification:

• minimum working width of 2.7m
• minimum two legs
• cutting disc preceding each subsoil leg
• rear roller for consolidation
• depth control

If you'd like to discuss an eligible machine with a member of our Territory Management team, you can find their contact details here. 

This grant supports innovation towards finding local solutions to local water quality challenges in key priority catchments across the Anglian Water region. Unlike other grants, there are no set options, so if you are considering anything which could help protect raw water quality from pesticides, nutrients or soil loss we (Anglian Water) want to hear from you.

The application window opened on the 21^st May 2025 and applications will need to be submitted by midday 30th July 2025.

Full details.

There will be a maximum grant rate of £7,500/holding to help support farmers and share some of the risk associated to trialling new approaches, changing practices and/or scaling up ideas to be incorporated into business as usual.

If you'd like to discuss an eligible machine with a member of our Territory Management team, you can find their contact details here.