FG3: Permanent electric fencing Grant

About this grant

FG3 is a Capital item within Countryside Stewardship that pays for permanent electric fencing. It helps land managers control livestock so that environmental features are protected and habitats are managed. The page states that the item can help protect, recover and improve biodiversity on the land. The item can be used either alongside a habitat management, restoration or creation action where new fencing is needed to meet grazing requirements, or to prevent water pollution caused by farming. It can also protect environmental features such as newly planted trees, buffer strips and field corners taken out of management. It can additionally support a Higher Tier Capital Grant that includes agroforestry options AF1 or AF2, with the agreement of the Forestry Commission or Natural England. It can be used with the FG4 rabbit fencing supplement. The fencing must meet specified standards. It must have a mains-operated energiser, wire at least 1.05m high with a minimum of four plain wires, and straining, strut and intermediate posts to set dimensions for either wooden or metal posts. Fences must not be attached to trees or hedgerows, and must not block or restrict access to open access land. Use on scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, registered battlefields or SHINE sites requires written approval from Historic England or the local authority historic environment adviser. No site where a grant has funded a fence in the last seven years is eligible. Payment is £5.66 per metre. The claimant must keep photographs of the completed work, plus consents, receipted invoices or bank statements, and photographs of the existing site. The item is part of Capital Grants 2026 and is governed by that guidance and, where applicable, the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier applicant's guide.

Eligibility

Applicants must apply under Capital Grants 2026, or under a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier application where this item is used in that context, and must follow the rules in the relevant guidance. The page does not state separate organisation types, geographic limits or prior-recipient rules. Sites where a grant has funded a fence in the last seven years are excluded, and use on certain historic environment sites requires written approval.

Key requirements

• ✓Applicant must meet Natural England eligibility criteria for the scheme
• ✓Permanent electric fencing must be installed according to scheme specifications
• ✓Project must comply with Natural England requirements and standards

Frequently asked questions

Who can apply for FG3: Permanent electric fencing?

Eligibility covers organisations in GB; nonprofit, charity, local-authority, community-group, 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.