What facilitators do
This section explains the role of the facilitator.
Facilitation fund agreements last for 3 years. As a facilitator, during this time, you will work with a group of land managers (farmers, foresters or others) to:
- develop cooperation between the group members
- agree the CS priorities they plan to take forward across their holdings, from the CS statements of priorities on GOV.UK
- interpret the CS statements of priorities and guidance to group members, when they need help to submit individual but complementary CS applications for land management and capital items
- endorse any applications made, to show they are consistent with the group’s agreed objectives
You will also:
- support group members by using the relevant skills and expertise required to deliver the CS priorities and where you are not qualified to provide this, procure it from others, read Annex 3
- maintain links with local partnerships and initiatives, as well as Defra delivery bodies, to make sure the group is undertaking work that complements the local actions of these partnerships and initiatives
- provide information to Natural England and the Rural Payments Agency to show what the group is doing differently due to the cooperation and the difference this is making in the delivery of CS priorities.
To qualify for funding, the group will have to undertake activities that are new to them due to cooperating. For example, this may include aligning the management activities across different parts of the holdings, to deliver at a landscape scale, rather than a single-farm scale.
This would include, where required:
- checking and re-positioning any existing land management activity that is poorly sited
- using any new knowledge or expertise that is provided to operate in a different way
- undertaking new or additional activities.