2025 Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme opens

The Minister for Agriculture, Food, Fisheries and the Marine, Martin Heydon, has announced the opening of the 2025 Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme.

Minister Heydon said “I am announcing a budget of €1.5 million for the 2025 Traditional Farm Buildings Scheme. This scheme received a prestigious Europa Nostra heritage award in 2024, and I am happy to reaffirm this government’s commitment to supporting conservation efforts. Today’s announcement ensures that farmers can continue to renovate and repurpose traditional farm buildings, thereby preserving our history for future generations.”

The scheme is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and run in partnership with the Heritage Council. It encourages investment by farmers in the conservation of traditional farm buildings and structures of significant heritage value that contribute to our rural landscape, such as historic yard surfaces, buildings, gates and gate pillars that form part of the working farm. Many of the supported structures also provide roosting sites for bats and nesting sites for birds.

The opening date for applications is 30 January, and the Scheme will close on Monday 10 March 2025. A grant award will cover up to 75% of the cost of the works, with a maximum available grant of €30,000.

Cork North West Fine Gael TD John Paul O Shea added “This is a scheme between the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Heritage Council. It has shown to be a very successful partnership. I encourage all eligible farmers to apply for the support. I very much look forward to hearing and seeing these projects completed boosting our already beautiful landscapes”.

Applications must be made online on the Heritage Council website.

An information webinar will be held on 12pm on Thursday 6 February. You can register on the Heritage Council website.

The closing date for receipt of online applications is 5pm, Monday, 10 March 2025, and the scheme’s terms and conditions and the online application form are available on the Heritage Council website.

Eligibility criteria

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine confirmed that participants in the following department schemes are eligible to apply for this grant scheme:

• active Agri-environment scheme participants including ACRES. Note: Active ACRES and REAP participants only

• participants in EIP Calls 1, 2 and 3, Hen Harrier and Pearl Mussel projects and The Burren Project who were an active participant as of 31st December 2022 or had completed the full term of the contract for the relevant EIP or have completed a five-year project as appropriate; and

• approved participants of the Organic Farming scheme

Assessment criteria

The overall evaluation approach is built on four main pillars:

• research:This included a literature review, development of a logical framework, review of programme mechanics, analysis of project commitments, and identification of international comparators

• consultation:This entailed interviews with commissioning stakeholders, farm surveys and three expert focus groups

• analysis:In-depth examination of the consultations to identify common themes and to help quantify the impact of the TFB scheme

• evaluation:This included several elements including a ‘Systems Review and Process Analysis’, an ‘Impact Evaluation’ and an assessment of the ‘Value-for-Money’ of the scheme. An integrated Capital Approach was also employed, looking at the return in terms of Human, Intellectual, Financial, Social, Natural, and Manufactured capital

How to apply

For further information check Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme.