Funding for Regenerative Farming in Protected Landscapes
If your farm lies in a National Park or National Landscape, grant funding may be available to support regenerative land management.
A funding programme worth a second look
Many farmers working in England’s National Parks and National Landscapes can access grant funding that may help cover the cost of training, monitoring, and professional support to improve land management.
One programme worth paying attention to is the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme. The scheme has recently been renewed and extended, creating new opportunities for farmers who want to strengthen the health and resilience of their land.
If your farm lies within a National Park, National Landscape (formerly called an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), or the Broads, FiPL may provide funding for projects that improve the environment while supporting resilient farm businesses.
This article explains how the programme works, what kinds of projects it supports, and how it could potentially help fund Holistic Management training, Ecological Outcome Verification (EOV) monitoring, and one-to-one advisory support.
FiPL in brief...
• Funding programme for farms in National Parks, National Landscapes, and the Broads in England.
• Supports projects that deliver climate, nature, people, or landscape benefits.
• Can help fund regenerative grazing projects, ecological monitoring, and farmer learning networks.
What FiPL is designed to achieve
The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme is part of the UK government’s Agricultural Transition Plan. It offers grants for projects that support environmental improvement and sustainable farming across protected landscapes in England.
The programme funds projects that contribute to at least one of four outcomes:
Climate: Increasing carbon storage, reducing emissions, and improving resilience to climate change.
Nature: Restoring habitats and increasing biodiversity.
People: Helping more people understand and enjoy the landscape.
Place: Protecting the character, heritage, and long-term sustainability of the landscape.
Unlike many agricultural schemes, FiPL does not prescribe a narrow list of activities. Instead, it funds projects designed locally to improve landscapes and support sustainable farming.
England’s protected landscapes — and the Broads
The Farming in Protected Landscapes programme currently applies to protected landscapes in England.
Eligible areas include:
National Parks.
National Landscapes (formerly Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty).
The Broads.
The Broads are a network of rivers and shallow lakes in Norfolk and Suffolk in eastern England. They form one of the country’s most distinctive wetland landscapes and are protected for their wildlife, cultural heritage, and recreational value.
The Broads Authority manages the area in a similar way to a National Park, and farms within the Broads may also be eligible for FiPL funding.
Funding that supports practical environmental improvement
FiPL funding is administered locally through National Park authorities and National Landscape teams.
Projects can receive up to 100% of project costs if the project does not generate direct commercial gain, or partial funding if the project also benefits the farm business.
Applications are assessed locally based on environmental outcomes, value for money, long-term benefits, and likelihood of successful delivery.
Because decisions are made locally, it is always helpful to discuss ideas with your local FiPL team before submitting an application.
Can FiPL support Holistic Management or EOV monitoring?
Yes — in many situations it can.
FiPL funds projects that improve the landscape. Training or advisory services normally need to be part of a wider project delivering environmental outcomes.
For example, a project aiming to improve soil health, biodiversity, and grazing management across a farm could include Holistic Management training, professional support to develop grazing plans, and ecological monitoring to measure changes in vegetation and soil health.
When framed clearly in this way, these elements become essential parts of a landscape improvement project.
Why regenerative grazing projects fit the programme so well
Holistic Management and regenerative grazing practices often align closely with the outcomes FiPL seeks to achieve.
Better grazing management can contribute to increased soil carbon storage, greater plant diversity, improved habitat structure, greater resilience to drought and flooding, and stronger farm businesses rooted in the landscape.
For many farms in protected landscapes — where grassland, wildlife, and landscape character are closely linked — grazing management is one of the most powerful tools available.
Three potential project ideas
Holistic Grazing Transition Project. Goal: Improve grassland health, soil carbon, and biodiversity through improved grazing management. Activities could include Holistic Management training, development of grazing plans, infrastructure improvements such as temporary fencing or water points, and baseline and follow-up ecological monitoring using EOV.
Landscape Grazing Learning Network. Goal: Build regenerative grazing knowledge across a group of farms within the same protected landscape. Activities could include workshops, demonstration days, peer learning sessions, grazing planning support, and ecological monitoring across participating farms.
Ecological Monitoring and Adaptive Management Project. Goal: Help farmers understand ecological conditions on their land and use that information to guide management decisions. Activities might include baseline EOV monitoring across several farms, workshops explaining ecological indicators, and support interpreting monitoring results and adapting grazing management.
Start with a conversation
If your farm lies within a National Park, National Landscape, or the Broads, it may be worth exploring whether FiPL could support work you are already interested in doing.
A good first step is simply to contact your local protected landscape team and discuss your ideas. Many projects begin with an informal conversation before developing into a formal application.
Where to learn more or begin an application
Government guidance:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/funding-for-farmers-in-protected-landscapes
Defra Farming Blog overview:
https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2025/02/26/farming-in-protected-landscapes-programme-extended-until-2026/
Map of protected landscapes:
https://magic.defra.gov.uk/
Interested in exploring a FiPL project with 3LM?
If you farm in a National Park, National Landscape, or the Broads and would like to explore whether FiPL funding could support Holistic Management training, Ecological Outcome Verification monitoring, or regenerative grazing planning, we would be glad to talk.
Many successful projects begin with a simple conversation about what the land needs and what the farmer hopes to achieve. From there, the right project can often take shape.
