GrantRadar

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (delivered by the Rural Payments Agency)

Improve Animal Health and Welfare (IAHW)

Fixed payments for livestock keepers in England to fund vet visits to their beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep or pigs: an animal health and welfare review (disease testing or wormer-effectiveness testing plus advice) and an optional endemic disease follow-up with deeper testing and a biosecurity assessment. Payments are per herd or flock, not per animal, and currently range from £258 to £1,844 per visit depending on species and visit type, covering testing, the vet's time and the keeper's time. You can have up to three reviews and three follow-ups per herd or flock, with all visits done by 19 June 2027. Part of Defra's Animal Health and Welfare Pathway.

Apply on the funder’s site
You could get
£10 – £1,000
Deadline
244 days left
19 June
Effort
Light
short form, little evidence needed

Who can apply

  • Livestock keepers in England (farm businesses) with a Single Business Identifier (SBI) registered with the Rural Payments Agency and linked to a County Parish Holding (CPH) number registered in England (not an 8000- or 9000-series CPH)
  • You must be the person legally responsible for the welfare of the livestock when the vet visits and have at least 11 beef cattle, 11 dairy cattle, 21 sheep or 51 pigs in the herd or flock each time the vet visits
  • You can still apply if you received a lump-sum payment to leave or retire from farming
  • The scheme is framed for farmers and livestock keepers; Defra's guidance does not mention charities either way, so a charity (for example a city or care farm) would need its own SBI and qualifying livestock numbers
  • Poultry keepers use the separate Poultry Biosecurity Review

What it funds

Vet-led visits to herds or flocks of beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep or pigs, with the payment contributing to the cost of testing, the vet's time and your time:

  • Animal health and welfare review: endemic disease testing (cattle and pigs) or testing the effectiveness of worming treatments (sheep), plus advice on improving health, welfare and productivity
  • Endemic disease follow-up (after a review, same species): more in-depth disease testing or condition assessments, a biosecurity assessment, and advice on controlling disease and improving welfare and productivity

Rates for visits from 22 January 2026 - review: pigs £648, sheep £574, beef cattle £647, dairy cattle £447; follow-up: pigs £1,087, sheep £658, beef cattle £954 with a persistently infected (PI) hunt or £258 without, dairy cattle £1,844 with a PI hunt or £258 without.

Up to 3 reviews and 3 follow-ups per herd or flock, at least 10 months apart for reviews. You negotiate the price with your vet and pay any amount above the payment.

What it will not fund

  • Herds or flocks below the minimum numbers (11 beef cattle, 11 dairy cattle, 21 sheep or 51 pigs) at the time of the vet visit
  • Animals kept outside England
  • Holdings with 8000-series CPH numbers (abattoirs, pet food manufacturers, racing pigeon establishments, showgrounds) or 9000-series CPH numbers (poultry keepers)
  • Visits carried out before your IAHW agreement is in place
  • A farmer who is a vet doing their own review or follow-up
  • Follow-ups without a prior review of the same species
  • Visits in the last 3 months of the agreement (after 19 June 2027)
  • Vet charges above the fixed payment
  • Test results from samples taken before the agreement started

How to apply

  1. Sign in to the 'Get funding to improve animal health and welfare' service with your Rural Payments CRN and password
  2. Apply for an IAHW agreement (about 5 minutes online) and make sure it is in place before any vet visit
  3. Arrange an animal health and welfare review with a vet of your choice; the vet tests, advises, and gives you a written report and a review summary
  4. Claim the review payment online using the details from the vet's summary and the test results
  5. Optionally, once the review claim is approved, arrange an endemic disease follow-up on the same species and claim for it (a biosecurity assessment is required for cattle and pig follow-ups)

All visits must be done by 19 June 2027 and claims submitted by 19 September 2027. Contact the RPA if you cannot apply online; an accessible postal route can be agreed.

Have ready

  • Rural Payments service CRN and password
  • Single Business Identifier (SBI) linked to an English CPH number
  • Vet's review or follow-up summary sheet
  • Laboratory test results from the review or follow-up

Keep invoices, receipts, the vet's summaries and other records for at least 7 years from the agreement end date.

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