FM2: Carry out customised capital works to manage specific sites or species
Find out about eligibility and requirements to carry out customised capital works to manage specific sites or species.
This item is part of Higher Tier Capital Grants 2025. You must read the Capital Grants 2025 guidance to understand the rules and how to apply.
If you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application, you must read the CSHT applicant’s guide to understand the rules and how to apply.
How much you’ll be paid
Up to 100% of actual costs
How this item benefits the environment
This item supports:
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large scale restoration and creation of priority habitats
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bespoke management for threatened species
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actions to deliver flood and drought resilience or water resource benefits
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actions to reduce the degradation of peat soils that’ll reduce greenhouse gas emissions
This item can help you protect, recover and improve biodiversity on your land.
Where you can use this item
You can use this item:
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when an implementation plan or feasibility study approved by Natural England or the Forestry Commission identifies the need for customised capital works to take place
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with a management action or option where there’s one or more priority or threatened species locally – the work will likely lead to colonisation and needs written support from a recognised specialist (either an individual or organisation) on the affected species
You can also use this item with a management action or option to:
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create or enhance a priority habitat
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carry out works that increase flood and drought resilience
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carry out works that re-wet lowland or upland peat
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eradicate or control plant populations where one or more invasive non-native species are identified – the species must have a negative impact on wildlife and the environment (you can only do this with a management action or option)
You cannot use this item to fund:
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any work within the scope of any management actions, options or other capital items
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certified agricultural seed, amenity grass seed or legume varieties seed (even if they’re species found in the wild) unless you use the seed to restore bare peat on moorland
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where agricultural or amenity grasses are used as a nurse crop to establish moorland vegetation
What you must do to use this item
You must:
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agree with Natural England or the Forestry Commission a detailed specification for the works (where necessary)
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provide at least 3 written quotations for completion of the work with your application, identifying associated costs
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agree the selected quotation with Natural England or the Forestry Commission
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complete the works in the approved specification, implementation plan or feasibility study within the agreed timescale
Your adviser will adapt the requirements for this item to your site. You should discuss and agree these requirements with them.
Applying more than once for this item on the same land
You can apply for this item more than once to either:
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manage invasive plant removal projects
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create or restore habitat in areas of dynamic land change (for example, in coastal habitat on land affected by river or flood plain restoration)
If you apply more than once, you’ll need to provide details of the outcomes you previously achieved and demonstrate why further creation or habitat restoration is needed. You may be able to apply to do the same works more than once.
Evidence you must keep
You must keep and provide with your application evidence of outcomes previously achieved and why further funding is needed (if applying for a second or subsequent time on the same land).
You must keep and provide with your claim:
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the specification of works agreed with your adviser
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photographs of the completed works
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invoices
You must also keep and provide with on request:
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any consents or permissions connected with the work
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receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is not available
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photographs of site before works starts
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a copy of the implementation plan or feasibility study (if necessary)
Read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the Agreement holder’s guide: Capital Grants, Higher Tier capital grants and Protection and Infrastructure grants for more information.
If you’re applying for this item as part of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application, you must read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the CSHT agreement holder’s guide.
Other items, actions and options you can use with this item
Capital items
You can typically use this item with:
You can use with other capital items when agreed with your adviser.
Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier actions and options
You can use this item with CUP3: General moorland management or UP3: Management of moorland to fund:
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enhancing wet heath – plug plants, sphagnum, geo-textiles and stone or wooden dams for gully works to ensure water is diverted into the peat
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restoring and stabilising bare peat-seeding, geo-textiles, plug-planting, re-profiling and sphagnum inoculation
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heath restoration works by removing conifers
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the cost of transporting materials over sensitive moorland habitats (such as blanket bog)
Using with other management actions or options
You can use this item with other management actions or options to fund:
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specific plug plants – food plants for invertebrate species, such as barberry for barberry carpet moth, hog’s fennel for fisher’s estuarine moth, tailored seed mixes for short-haired bumble bee
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creating coastal habitat including intertidal habitat (managed realignment)
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creating shingle islands for species such as tern or avocet
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creating and enhancing lowland heath – clearing bracken litter and humus, preparing ground, spreading heather cuttings or seeds and creating bare ground
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restoring and maintaining natural river processes and habitats both in channel and in a floodplain
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hiring and transporting specialist equipment for preparatory work for priority species habitat management
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undertaking work to support flood and drought resilience such as creating areas where water will temporarily be stored, removing artificial drainage and addressing soil compaction
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raising and maintaining high water levels on lowland and upland peat
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managing an invasive non-native plant species
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maintenance costs for hiring, purchasing or maintaining equipment that helps priority species to thrive
Examples of these maintenance costs include:
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maintaining electric fencing on breeding lapwing plots
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maintaining mobile batteries for electric fencing
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keeping grass cut to stop shorting of electric fence
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regular equipment maintenance
You can also native British seed mixes (sourced from wild populations) to increase plant diversity by:
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over-sowing with an agreed seed mix or green hay
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spreading brash or plug planting along with habitat creation or restoration
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the cost of collecting, transporting and spreading hay or brash
Advice to help you use this item
The following advice may help you to use this item, but you do not have to follow it to get paid. It’s not part of this item’s requirements.
You should consider the local effects of climate change when planning works.
Updates to this page
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This item is available under Higher Tier Capital Grants
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'Additional guidance and advice' added to explain this option can form part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach to prevent the establishment of pests, weeds and diseases.
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The Keeping records section of this page has been updated
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Updated for 2017 applications.
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Information updated for applications in 2016.
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First published.