Grants

KLAW's Plans for Grant Applications

KLAW - as a free membership organisation - has no funds to give to members directly. However, as a formally constituted "Community Association" KLAW is able to apply for certain types of grant, then distribute the funds (or goods) to members.

KLAW members can also individually apply for grants, according to their particular interests. Some KLAW members have already made several successful grant applications, in some cases for substantial amounts.

KLAW is building collective expertise on what is available, to whom it is available and when applying how to increase the probability of the grant being awarded. Initially the focus is on increasing our understanding of what is available. We are also considering a role in the KLAW management group of Funding Manager, to act as a focal point for expertise. Whilst this is under discussion if you have any queries or suggestions please email the Treasurer: treasurer@KLAWonline.co.uk.

Funding Sources

The Rural Payments Agency: Find Funding for Land or Farms

You can find details clicking here.

Treeapp

KLAW was contacted by Treeapp, an organisation that connects UK businesses with landowners who are interested in planting native tree species.

Treeapp offers "Full funding: Your tree-planting project will be completely funded by our business partners. This covers everything - from tree whips and wildlife protection to labour costs for planting. Support: Our team will provide all the expertise and resources needed to ensure the success of your reforestation project. We work closely with landowners to understand their vision and develop a planting plan that aligns weith both their goals and the wider landscape".

You can find details by clicking emily.douglas@thetreeapp.org

Forestry Commission Information

Some information on grants was provided by the Forestry Commission. Click Sources for information and funding for managing woodlands.

The links also include useful information about managing woodlands for wildlife.

Kent Wildlife Trust

Kent Wildlife Trust have also published very useful information that can be found by clicking here.

Successful Grant Applications

Production of Biochar at Mystole Orchard

Keith and Jenny Dugmore were awarded a grant to test small-scale / domestic methods of producing biochar. Starting in April 2022 it was initially for a two year project, now extended to four years. The grant was awarded by the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Farming in Protected Landscapes. More details on the project can be found as part of the Research pages by clicking on Biochar Project to see the details.

Biochar Grant: A Case Study

Although our biochar project has not yet finished we have learned much about biochar production and had some interesting results. If we had not been awarded a grant we would still have investigated biochar production, but on a very small scale. Quite possibly, without the motivation from having to give feedback on progress we could well have given up quite quickly.

Most grant application processes are complex and daunting. Fortunately, we found the process for the grant from North Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty relatively straightforward. The application form is quite short and does not require the use of complex codes to classify the type of activity for which the grant is required. We will happily try applying for another grant as and when a suitable subject crops up.

Our experience of the AONB process contrasts with an application for a different grant from a different organisation. For this the application form was so complex and slow and the grant such a small proportion of the total cost that we abandoned the application and will fully fund the project ourselves.

More details of the North Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) organisation and grants can be found by clicking here.

So, what lessons have we learned?

Find the best match for your project

For any grant application it is really important to find the right source of a grant – does the focus of the grant scheme match the scope of your project? There are many sources of grants and each has different objectives. Find the best match and the chances of success are much higher. KLAW members have been given grants from a wide variety of sources for a very wide range of equipment and activities: tables, farming equipment, compost toilets, education, tree saplings, production of ponds, preparation of suitable habitat for rare species. In our case oil drums, chimneys and a log splitter from the AONB. We also learned applying to the wrong grant source means a rejection – in our case we were advised we would not get funding from the AONB for a shipping container for storage.

How much will the grant cover and will you need to match funds?

Many grant sources require you to match the grant with your own funds – so at best you get only part of the total cost of a project. If you cannot afford to provide the remainder it’s advisable to either change the project or seek a different source for the grant.

Up front or after payment refund

All the grants we are aware of work on the basis that the costs covered by the grant will be reimbursed only after the purchase has been made. There may be some where the money is paid up front – but be aware this might well not be the case. If you cannot afford to pay the costs initially and wait for reimbursement, reconsider the project and grant source.

When the money may be spent

We applied for the biochar grant a few weeks before the end of financial year and the grant was awarded quickly. What we had not allowed for was that the purchases to be paid for by the grant could not be made until after the start of the financial year. We lost a few weeks before we could start producing biochar and activating it for testing. The delay meant we missed the majority of the growing season and tests planned for year 1 had to be slipped to year 2. In retrospect we should have realised this and planned accordingly. Allow for the kind of delay we encountered when we could not start purchasing until the start of the new financial year.

Establish the claims process before you start

Not all grant schemes require proof of purchase, others we are aware of agree to pay a fixed sum and if an inspection shows the work has been done the grant money will be paid, without checking of invoices or receipts etc. Establish as soon as possible if there are rules on how you are required to prove purchases have been made.

How to actually claim the grant money

The AONB scheme required proof of purchase in the form of receipts. This is predictable, but we had not realised that for those purchases made via Amazon getting a receipt was complex and time consuming. We had assumed the email confirming purchase and payment was a receipt. It isn’t! We had to ask each individual supplier for a receipt, via Amazon. For one supplier they had no receipt to give us. We were allowed to claim the money spent on this item by tracking it back through PayPal and then back to a bank account.

Multiple vs single accounts

We were also required to prove purchases by showing entries in bank statements, with a strong preference for all statements to be from the same account. This is where we created difficulties for ourselves and the AONB. We used more than one bank account, partly because we did not realise there was a preference for using the same account for each purchase. This was a burden for us and also complicated the checking of our documents by the AONB.

Mid-project one of us was the victim of identity theft. Although the identity theft was not linked to any of the purchases for the biochar project it meant that while the identity theft was investigated the account had to be frozen. Freezing of one account meant a different account had to be used, creating more of the “multiple vs single accounts” problems. To compound this problem a new card to be issued with different numbers and other details. Without us realising they would do this, when the new card was issued the bank wiped all the online records for the old card. As we our banking is 100% online we had no backup copies of our past payments. It took several phone calls and several days before we were able to get the old records sent through to us as paper copies. As a consequence, we were nearly too late to claims some payments in the same financial year the money was spent. So don’t have your identify stolen in the middle of purchasing equipment! Or of you do, make sure you have full copies of all your previous accounts before the bank wipes the record.

Reports on progress

Find out in advance what progress reports will be required – these can range from none, a single inspection, through to a commitment to regular reports and in some cases to holding public and educational events. If public events align with your general approach this is a great way to gain support for a grant application. If you prefer to avoid a high public profile consider looking elsewhere for the grant funding. We provided progress reports, as and when we had made interesting progress. Also, partly because of KLAW we had a half day workshop on the production of biochar. This was covered as a KLAW event and visit, click here.

Timescales and effort

Be prepared for a project to take longer and to require more effort than you expected. This is less of an issue if, like us, you find the project interesting, especially as we are both retired and (in theory) have plenty of free time. Be prepared for the weather to disrupt your plans – our biochar project has progressed only as fast as the weather has permitted up to produce the biochar (for example wind in the right direction to avoid suffocating our neighbours, no rain when the charcoal is being sieved or ground before activation).

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Tools for Willow Farm

Ed Kyrke-Smith has been awarded a grant for tools at Willow Farm. Many of their events are triggered by the grant - as part of the required public education. More details will be provided as the project gets underway. The grant was awarded by the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Farming in Protected Landscapes.