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Financing for landowners in the UK: grants and income opportunities in 2025

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A comprehensive guide to grants and funding options for UK landowners, covering woodland creation, grassland restoration, and biodiversity schemes—with insights on how to maximise financial support.

Updated on the 11th of February 2025

Owning land in the UK is a privilege, but it also comes with its fair share of costs. From fencing repairs that always seem to cost more than expected to managing woodland, maintaining hedgerows, or even considering rewilding projects, landowners face constant decisions about how to fund improvements and make their land work for them.

Fortunately, there’s never been more financial support available. Government-backed grants, biodiversity funding, and long-term income schemes offer landowners a real opportunity to improve, restore, and even generate revenue from their land.

If you’re wondering what funding options are out there in 2025, this guide walks through the best grants, financial incentives, and income opportunities available to landowners today—and how to make the most of them.

How landowners can secure financing in 2025

Many assume that funding is only for farmers, but the reality is quite different. Whether you manage farmland, woodland, grasslands, or an estate with underused spaces, there are grants and incentives available for a wide range of projects.

Landowners can apply for funding to:

  • Plant new hedgerows or restore existing ones
  • Create wildflower meadows and species-rich grasslands
  • Establish woodlands and maintain existing trees
  • Restore wetlands and improve habitat connectivity
  • Enhance soil health and transition to low-input land management
  • Generate long-term income through biodiversity and carbon credit schemes

For those who know where to look, there’s funding for everything from tree planting to turning that stubbornly unproductive field into a thriving wildlife haven.

Government grants for landowners in 2025

For landowners looking to invest in their property while supporting environmental and biodiversity goals, government-backed grants remain the most reliable source of funding. These non-repayable payments can help cover everything from initial land improvements to ongoing maintenance.

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI)

Even if you’re not running a large-scale farming business, SFI offers an easy way for landowners to secure funding for managing their land more sustainably.

  • Funds hedgerow management, species-rich grasslands, herbal leys, agroforestry, and regenerative soil management
  • Available to landowners managing agricultural land, grassland, or hedgerows
  • Pays £151 per hectare for species-rich grassland management

SFI offers annual payments with no long-term contracts, making it one of the most flexible funding schemes available.

Countryside Stewardship (CS)

For those with larger-scale projects in mind, Countryside Stewardship provides multi-year support for land restoration and biodiversity projects.

  • Covers woodland creation, wildflower-rich margins, pond and wetland restoration, and hedgerow planting
  • Open to landowners managing estates, farms, or conservation areas
  • Pays £451 per hectare for wildflower buffer strips, £9.50 per metre for hedgerow planting

Countryside Stewardship is one of the best routes for landowners who want long-term financial support for biodiversity projects.

England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO)

Woodland creation isn’t just good for biodiversity—it’s one of the most financially supported land uses in the UK. EWCO provides funding for both planting and long-term maintenance.

  • Covers native and commercial tree planting, fencing, and woodland establishment
  • Available to any landowner with suitable land for tree planting
  • Pays up to 100% of establishment costs, plus 10 years of maintenance payments

For landowners looking to future-proof their land and create long-term revenue through timber or carbon credits, EWCO is an opportunity worth exploring.

Woodland tree health grants

Diseased trees are more than just an eyesore—they can reduce land value and become a liability. Woodland tree health grants help landowners remove and replace trees affected by disease or pests.

  • Funds felling and replanting of diseased trees, such as those affected by ash dieback
  • Available to any landowner with at-risk woodland
  • Payment depends on the scale of tree loss and replanting required

This grant ensures that landowners can take early action before tree disease spreads further.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) payments

Developers are now required to offset biodiversity losses, which means landowners who create or enhance wildlife habitats can get paid for long-term conservation projects.

  • Funds wildflower meadows, hedgerows, wetlands, and species-rich grasslands
  • Open to landowners willing to maintain biodiversity for at least 30 years
  • Payment varies but can be thousands per hectare per year

For landowners who don’t want to farm but want a steady, reliable income from their land, BNG can be an attractive option.

How to make the most of land financing in 2025

The biggest mistake landowners make? Not applying for funding. Many assume they won’t qualify, but most grants cover a wider range of land types than people realise.

The best strategy is to combine multiple funding sources—for example, planting trees with EWCO and then securing long-term carbon payments, or using SFI to maintain wildflower meadows created under Countryside Stewardship.

Steps to securing funding

  1. Assess your land – Identify underused areas or those that could qualify for funding.
  2. Match your goals with the right grant – Woodland creation? EWCO. Grassland improvement? SFI or CS.
  3. Consider long-term revenue – Carbon credits and biodiversity schemes can provide sustained income.
  4. Apply early – The best-funded schemes fill up quickly, and many are first-come, first-served.

Maximise your land financing opportunities with AskGrant

With so many grants and funding options available, knowing which ones best suit your land can feel overwhelming. That’s where AskGrant comes in.

  • Instantly find out which grants you qualify for
  • Compare earnings from biodiversity, woodland, and conservation schemes
  • Get tailored guidance on the best funding mix for your land

Every year, landowners miss out on millions in available grants—simply because they don’t apply or aren’t aware of what’s available.

Make sure you’re getting the most from your land. Sign up for AskGrant today and start unlocking the financing opportunities your land deserves.

Sign up now and take control of your land’s financial future.

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A comprehensive guide to grants and funding options for UK landowners, covering woodland creation, grassland restoration, and biodiversity schemes—with insights on how to maximise financial support.

Updated on the 11th of February 2025

Owning land in the UK is a privilege, but it also comes with its fair share of costs. From fencing repairs that always seem to cost more than expected to managing woodland, maintaining hedgerows, or even considering rewilding projects, landowners face constant decisions about how to fund improvements and make their land work for them.

Fortunately, there’s never been more financial support available. Government-backed grants, biodiversity funding, and long-term income schemes offer landowners a real opportunity to improve, restore, and even generate revenue from their land.

If you’re wondering what funding options are out there in 2025, this guide walks through the best grants, financial incentives, and income opportunities available to landowners today—and how to make the most of them.

How landowners can secure financing in 2025

Many assume that funding is only for farmers, but the reality is quite different. Whether you manage farmland, woodland, grasslands, or an estate with underused spaces, there are grants and incentives available for a wide range of projects.

Landowners can apply for funding to:

  • Plant new hedgerows or restore existing ones
  • Create wildflower meadows and species-rich grasslands
  • Establish woodlands and maintain existing trees
  • Restore wetlands and improve habitat connectivity
  • Enhance soil health and transition to low-input land management
  • Generate long-term income through biodiversity and carbon credit schemes

For those who know where to look, there’s funding for everything from tree planting to turning that stubbornly unproductive field into a thriving wildlife haven.

Government grants for landowners in 2025

For landowners looking to invest in their property while supporting environmental and biodiversity goals, government-backed grants remain the most reliable source of funding. These non-repayable payments can help cover everything from initial land improvements to ongoing maintenance.

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI)

Even if you’re not running a large-scale farming business, SFI offers an easy way for landowners to secure funding for managing their land more sustainably.

  • Funds hedgerow management, species-rich grasslands, herbal leys, agroforestry, and regenerative soil management
  • Available to landowners managing agricultural land, grassland, or hedgerows
  • Pays £151 per hectare for species-rich grassland management

SFI offers annual payments with no long-term contracts, making it one of the most flexible funding schemes available.

Countryside Stewardship (CS)

For those with larger-scale projects in mind, Countryside Stewardship provides multi-year support for land restoration and biodiversity projects.

  • Covers woodland creation, wildflower-rich margins, pond and wetland restoration, and hedgerow planting
  • Open to landowners managing estates, farms, or conservation areas
  • Pays £451 per hectare for wildflower buffer strips, £9.50 per metre for hedgerow planting

Countryside Stewardship is one of the best routes for landowners who want long-term financial support for biodiversity projects.

England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO)

Woodland creation isn’t just good for biodiversity—it’s one of the most financially supported land uses in the UK. EWCO provides funding for both planting and long-term maintenance.

  • Covers native and commercial tree planting, fencing, and woodland establishment
  • Available to any landowner with suitable land for tree planting
  • Pays up to 100% of establishment costs, plus 10 years of maintenance payments

For landowners looking to future-proof their land and create long-term revenue through timber or carbon credits, EWCO is an opportunity worth exploring.

Woodland tree health grants

Diseased trees are more than just an eyesore—they can reduce land value and become a liability. Woodland tree health grants help landowners remove and replace trees affected by disease or pests.

  • Funds felling and replanting of diseased trees, such as those affected by ash dieback
  • Available to any landowner with at-risk woodland
  • Payment depends on the scale of tree loss and replanting required

This grant ensures that landowners can take early action before tree disease spreads further.

Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) payments

Developers are now required to offset biodiversity losses, which means landowners who create or enhance wildlife habitats can get paid for long-term conservation projects.

  • Funds wildflower meadows, hedgerows, wetlands, and species-rich grasslands
  • Open to landowners willing to maintain biodiversity for at least 30 years
  • Payment varies but can be thousands per hectare per year

For landowners who don’t want to farm but want a steady, reliable income from their land, BNG can be an attractive option.

How to make the most of land financing in 2025

The biggest mistake landowners make? Not applying for funding. Many assume they won’t qualify, but most grants cover a wider range of land types than people realise.

The best strategy is to combine multiple funding sources—for example, planting trees with EWCO and then securing long-term carbon payments, or using SFI to maintain wildflower meadows created under Countryside Stewardship.

Steps to securing funding

  1. Assess your land – Identify underused areas or those that could qualify for funding.
  2. Match your goals with the right grant – Woodland creation? EWCO. Grassland improvement? SFI or CS.
  3. Consider long-term revenue – Carbon credits and biodiversity schemes can provide sustained income.
  4. Apply early – The best-funded schemes fill up quickly, and many are first-come, first-served.

Maximise your land financing opportunities with AskGrant

With so many grants and funding options available, knowing which ones best suit your land can feel overwhelming. That’s where AskGrant comes in.

  • Instantly find out which grants you qualify for
  • Compare earnings from biodiversity, woodland, and conservation schemes
  • Get tailored guidance on the best funding mix for your land

Every year, landowners miss out on millions in available grants—simply because they don’t apply or aren’t aware of what’s available.

Make sure you’re getting the most from your land. Sign up for AskGrant today and start unlocking the financing opportunities your land deserves.

Sign up now and take control of your land’s financial future.

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