Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) funding is flexible. Projects must result in tangible positive outcomes for climate, nature, people or place and must contribute towards objectives within the National Park Management Plan. Projects would need to add value to anything offered under current national agri-environment schemes, but we won’t rule anything out.
The 2025-2030 National Park Management Plan guides how the Yorkshire Dales National Park is managed, cared for and developed. It is structured around six key ambitions – finest wildlife, climate mitigation, a welcoming place, cultural landscape, flourishing local economy, and strong communities. Objectives are set against each ambition to guide how meaningful progress will be made, and the plan has been developed with a range of partners, with input from farming representatives.
Positive impacts for climate, nature, people or place
Climate
- Better understanding among farmers, land managers and the public as to what different habitats and land uses can deliver for carbon storage and reduced carbon emissions
- More carbon is stored and/or sequestered
- Flood risk has been reduced
- The landscape is more resilient to climate change
Nature
- There is a greater area of wildlife rich habitat
- There is greater connectivity between habitats
- Existing habitat is better managed for biodiversity
- There is an increase in biodiversity
People
- There are more opportunities for people to explore, enjoy and understand the landscape
- There are increased opportunities for more diverse audiences to explore, enjoy and understand the landscape
- There is greater public engagement in land management, for example, through volunteering
Place
- The quality and character of the landscape is reinforced or enhanced
- Historic structures and features are conserved, enhanced or interpreted more effectively
- There is an increase in the resilience of nature friendly sustainable farm businesses, which in turn contributes to a more thriving local economy
Eligibility
Applications will be accepted from farmers and land managers within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. FiPL can support activity on other land where it is clear that it brings benefits to the Yorkshire Dales National Park and its objectives.
- Applicants must own, or have management control of, all the land affected by the project, or have the formal consent of the person who does.
- To avoid overlap with other Defra funding or grant schemes, any item or activity that has an equivalent elsewhere can only be considered for FiPL if it is clearly and strongly demonstrated why FiPL is the most appropriate programme for delivery; this includes if other schemes are currently closed or paused.
- FiPL grant funding cannot be used in order to meet statutory or legal obligations (e.g. for slurry stores)
Also note
- FiPL can fund bespoke items. Quotes are required for activities or items that do not have an equivalent standard payment rate.
- For such ‘actual cost’ items or activities, a grant offer will be based on a percentage intervention rate, depending on potential commercial gain or benefit to the grant applicant. If the item/activity will support a clear financial gain, a maximum of 40% of eligible costs may be considered; if the project generates some commercial benefit but is primarily delivering public goods, up to 80% of eligible costs may apply. Only in exceptional cases where the project has no commercial or financial benefit to you could you be paid up to 100% of the eligible costs.
- Barns: Traditional building repair/restoration projects are eligible. Due to demand, projects will be prioritised by assessment/scoring based on factors such as the building’s historical significance and its proximity to public rights of way. We can only accept new enquiries for buildings that are listed or on YDNPA Building At Risk Register, or those within the YDNPA Barns and Walls Conservation Area (Swaledale & Arkengarthdale and Littondale).
- FiPL is confirmed to 31 March 2029 and applications can be made for grant funding covering more than one project year. Please note, however, that our funding is only secured for 2026/2027 at this stage and activities in later years (2027/28 and 2028/29) may be at risk until the budget allocation is confirmed by Defra.
- Capital infrastructure (e.g. fences, gates or restored buildings) must be maintained for 5 years from the completion date; machinery assets (e.g. brush harvesters for grassland restoration) must be maintained for 5 years from the purchase date.
- Project works cannot take place and items cannot be purchased or a deposit paid until a signed grant agreement (contract) is issued. The project start and end dates are written into the grant agreement and grant payment is only valid against works carried out and items purchased within those specified dates.
- Claims are paid in arrears on completed and verified activity.
- It is the FiPL grant agreement holder’s responsibility to ensure works meet the specifications and necessary standards outlined in their FiPL agreement and that satisfactory evidence is provided for claim payments.
Decisions
The cost of your project will impact how it is assessed.
Grant applications over £10,000:
Applications will be assessed by our Local Assessment Panel, which comprises members of the farming and land management community and representatives from organisations working in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Projects are given a score using a common scoring system and may be prioritised accordingly.
FiPL grant applications to be decided by the Local Assessment Panel (those exceeding £10,000, or for sixth-time [or more] applicants) must be submitted to fipl@yorkshiredales.org.uk at least two weeks before the scheduled meeting date.
Grant applications under £10,000:
Applications are assessed and scored by a senior officer at the Yorkshire Dales National Park who has not been involved in providing advice or guidance to your application. If you apply for six or more under £10,000 grants over the course of the programme, your application will be assessed by the Local Assessment Panel.
Scoring
The common scoring system will be used for all applications under the following categories:
- Project outcomes – (40%)
- Value for money – (20%)
- Sustainability / legacy of project – (20%)
- Ability to deliver – (20%)
Local Assessment Panel (LAP)
The Local Assessment Panel (LAP) meets approximately every eight weeks to consider applications to the FiPL programme and decide which projects should be approved, deferred or rejected. The panel assesses and scores all grant fund applications exceeding £10,000 – plus any grant fund requests from applicants applying for their third (or more) <£10,000 project.
About the LAP
Our panel consists of members of the local farming community and representatives of organisations active within the National Park:
Farmers – Alastair Dinsdale, Christine Grange, Helen Hird, Rachel Marston, Stuart Raw
Debbie North (Disability and Access Ambassador)
Neil Heseltine (YDNPA Member)
Nicholas White (Growth Hub, York & North Yorkshire Combined Authority)
Phil Scott-Priestley (Landowner representative)
Stuart Masheder, Caragh Clayton-Chance, Joanne Newton (Natural England)
Veronica Waller (Farmer Network)
Representatives of other bodies (e.g. Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Rural Payments Agency) will be consulted for relevant applications; these groups may provide feedback/guidance and indicate whether they would support or oppose funding.
What the Panel does
The duties and responsibilities of the panel include – but are not limited to – the following:
• Refer all enquiries for FiPL grant funding to the Yorkshire Dales FiPL team without prejudicing their decision making.
• Assess applications using the scoring system and giving regard to the FiPL National Framework and other guiding documents.
• Decide whether to award, partially award, request more information, or refuse applications, and give precise reasons for decisions based on guidance documents and scheme criteria.
• Act with discretion and maintain absolute confidentiality until notice has been issued to the applicant by the Yorkshire Dales FiPL team.
• Champion the FiPL programme with farmers, land managers and other relevant organisations.
• Have regard to the Nolan Principles in all its affairs.
• Set local priorities and funding limits to ensure balance of programme in the Yorkshire Dales, and to ensure grant funding addresses National Park Management Plan objectives and is distributed to a range of grant recipients to achieve the desired outcomes of the FiPL programme.
Local Assessment Panel meetings were held on the following dates in Programme Years 1-5:
Year 1 (2021/2022): 18 August 2021; 15 October 2021; 2 December 2021; 11 January 2022; 17 February 2022; 24 March 2022
Year 2 (2022/2023): 4 May 2022; 16 June 2022; 27 July 2022; 7 September 2022; 13 October 2022; 1 December 2022; 12 January 2023; 21 February 2023
Year 3 (2023/2024): 6 April 2023; 22 May 2023; 29 June 2023; 10 August 2023; 19 September 2023; 31st October 2023; 7 December 2023; 16 January 2023
Year 4 (2024/2025): 15 April 2024; 6 June 2024; 20 August 2024; 3 December 2024; 20 March 2025
Year 5 (2025/2026): 6 May 2025; 19 June 2025; 29 July 2025; 9 September 2025; 28 October 2025; 16 December 2025; 25 February 2026
Please email fipl@yorkshiredales.org.uk if you wish to receive a copy of the minutes from a particular meeting
2026/2027 (Year 6) LAP meetings
LAP meetings will be scheduled regularly until the scheme funding has been fully committed. Our Year 6 (2026/2027) meetings are expected to be held on the following Tuesdays:
21 April 2026
19 May 2026
16 June 2026
11 August 2026
6 October 2026
1 December 2026
26 January 2027
23 March 2027
FiPL grant applications to be decided by the Local Assessment Panel (those exceeding £10,000, or for sixth-time [or more] <£10,000 applicants) must be submitted to fipl@yorkshiredales.org.uk at least two weeks before the scheduled meeting date.