A final call has been made for applications to bring traditional agricultural buildings back to life within the boundaries of five National Parks.
The £8 million pilot project, launched in March 2018, will close for applications on 30 March 2020.
Funding is available for restoring buildings for continued agricultural use, using traditional methods and materials, which will improve the distinctive character of the area.
The Historic Building Restoration Grant Pilot is a collaborative project between Natural England, five National Parks and other agencies.
As the scheme is a pilot, it is now closed to new applicants but existing applicants can submit restoration grant applications up until March 2020.
Once restored, the buildings help enhance the historic landscape of the National Parks, as well as providing habitat for wildlife, such as bats and barn owls, the project states.
Early economic forecasting of the impact of the pilot grant scheme found that for every £1 of public money offered by the scheme in rural areas, the benefits to the local economy in terms of creating jobs and helping local businesses ranges between £1.65 - £2.50.
The analysis also indicated that the scheme creates around 15 full-time equivalent jobs in the local economy of each of the five National Parks; equating to at least 77 full-time equivalent jobs for an initial grant investment of just over £4 million.
Given that the pilot grant budget has been increased to £8 million, it is anticipated that the economic return will exceed early forecasts.
Defra Rural Affairs Minister Lord Gardiner said: “Many of the historic stone barns scattered throughout our National Parks have fallen out of use, despite being perfectly situated to provide shelter for livestock or store feed."
Applications are assessed by a grants panel chaired by the Rural Payments Agency with representatives from Historic England, Natural England and the National Parks.
The budget for the scheme is £8m and to date £5.4m has been awarded for capital works.
