New entrants in England can now apply to take part in a scheme pilot launched by Defra which seeks to foster farming business innovation.
Through the New Entrant Support Scheme, Defra says it wants to "nurture entrepreneurs to develop their business ideas, foster innovation and promote growth."
The pilot aims to support young businesses through the early stages of development, including developing a business idea pitching for land and finance.
Defra says it wants to recruit about 200 pilot participants in total, with the recruitment process starting in December and the pilot running until spring 2023.
"We want to better support those who want to enter farming and develop land-based businesses," a spokesperson for Defra said.
"One idea that we said we were keen to test through a pilot was incubation: providing tactical support to young businesses through the early stages of development."
Individuals with some farming experience but not their own land-based business can apply, as well as individuals with 4 to 10 years’ experience running a land-based farming business.
The pilot is open to new entrants across most sectors, including arable, livestock, horticulture and agro-forestry.
It is also open to environmental service businesses, such as providing livestock for arable farms as part of an agroecology system.
Defra said the pilot projects were just the start: "We will use our findings from them to inform the full New Entrant Support Scheme, which we will continue to develop next year," the spokesperson said.
