AC3: Install and maintain signage Grant

About this grant

AC3 is a capital grant item under Natural England's Capital Grants 2026 programme that provides funding for the installation and maintenance of signage on agricultural and environmental sites. The item funds signs that encourage positive visitor behaviour, protect environmental features, and manage public access. Signage can be used to discourage damaging activities, explain environmental features of sites, and communicate woodland tree health management and biosecurity awareness. The grant pays £55.65 per sign installed. This item can be used as part of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier applications, Woodland Tree Health grants, or alongside Sustainable Farming Incentive actions and other capital items focused on water body and pond management.

Eligibility

Applicants must be participating in Capital Grants 2026, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier, or Woodland Tree Health grant programmes. The item can be used on sites with public access. Signage cannot be installed on historic or archaeological features identified on the Historic Environment Farm Environment Record without written approval from Historic England, including scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, and registered battlefields. The item cannot be used on Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England sites without written approval from the local authority historic environment adviser. The item cannot be used on land in a Sustainable Farming Incentive or Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier permissive access action.

Key requirements

• ✓Eligibility and requirements specific to signage installation and maintenance item (details not provided in source)
• ✓Likely requires land management or conservation context aligned with Natural England priorities
• ✓Amount varies by project (see listing)

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for AC3: Install and maintain signage?

Eligibility covers organisations in GB; nonprofit, charity, local-authority, social-enterprise. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.

Relevant sectors

About this sector

Biodiversity funding backs habitat restoration, species protection, protected areas and nature-positive business. It comes from environment agencies, multilateral nature funds and conservation philanthropy, often through competitive calls with defined regions. Applicants are usually asked for baseline surveys, local partners and indicators that show ecological change.