Annex 1: Eligibility and selection criteria

You must meet all eligibility criteria to be considered for funding.

All eligibility criteria must be met to be considered for funding

  • The area of land that will be managed can deliver the CS priorities from the statements of priorities. The land must be at least 2,000 hectares (size of the holdings, not the area of management activity), unless the proposal fits a smaller obvious environmental boundary (read 3.2 for more information).
  • The area of land is spread over a minimum of four separate land holdings managed by different people. (A common is treated as one holding for the purpose of this funding and can join with non-commons to create the land area of the group.) The holdings should normally be adjoining or largely adjoining. Holdings can be more dispersed if applicants can show that cooperation across more dispersed holdings is needed to deliver the CS priorities, in the statements of priorities. For example, this may apply to CS priorities relating to soil, water quality or flooding.
  • You must have the backing of the farmers, foresters and/or other land managers of the holdings

Mandatory selection criteria you must meet

  • You must set out evidence of your skill set and experience, covered in question 7 of the application form.
  • The farmers, foresters and/or other land managers who you support, are to undertake activities that are new to them as a result of their co-operation
  • The farmers, foresters and/or other land managers that you support, are to deliver the CS priorities identified in the statements of priorities on their land, with a focus on biodiversity and/or the water environment.
  • You must set out how cooperation amongst the farmers, foresters and other land managers will be fostered.
  • You must provide evidence to show why the facilitation is likely to succeed and that the cooperation amongst group members is likely to deliver better environmental outcomes than acting independently.
  • You must provide evidence to demonstrate you are engaging with other initiatives and/or partnerships that aim to deliver CS priorities from the statements of priorities in the local landscape, to make sure there is a coherence and a joined-up approach. This can include, Natural England, the Environment Agency and/or Forestry Commission local area teams.
  • You must demonstrate that you have identified the training needs of the group members in a training plan, to deliver the land management and/or use of capital items that are directly required to deliver the CS priorities in the statements of priorities.
  • You must have the relevant qualifications and experience needed to provide training, or other activities to meet the knowledge and expertise needs of the group. You must also demonstrate how you will comply with the other elements of Annex 3. If you are using a sub-contractor instead, to provide training or other activities, to meet the knowledge and expertise needs of the group, you must demonstrate that you will select the sub-contractor in accordance with the requirements of Annex 3

Optional selection criteria – where applicable:

  • You aim, where possible, to broaden the group membership to other land managers, voluntary or statutory organisations, to further the delivery of the CS priorities.
  • You identify, where relevant, for group members other funding sources outside of CS to support new activities to further the delivery of the CS priorities.