The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has issued a call for facilitators to run ‘Group’ projects for farmers who are participating in the Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS).
Group projects are to promote co-ordinated activity among EFS agreement holders to enhance environmental outcomes in certain areas such as an environmentally designated site, priority habitat or river catchment.
EFS Group projects will initially be introduced on a pilot basis in 2017.
DAERA is therefore seeking proposals from individuals or organisations from the environmental, farming or other land management sectors, or service providers with environmental land management experience and suitable facilitation skills. DAERA intends to initiate a small number of pilot projects this year. The call is competitive and applications will be assessed against selection criteria. Successful applicants will be offered a contract to deliver their proposed project.
Proposals are invited for pilot projects on:- Environmentally designated sites; Priority species and specific river catchments. The river catchments are Donore, Co Antrim; Upper Lagan, Co Down; Blackstaff and Carrigs, Dundrum, Co Down.
Full details of the Group pilot project call, including an application form, are available at:
https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/
Please note this call for Group pilot projects is for potential facilitators only. Farmers / Landowners who wish to participate in the EFS should apply as individual applicants when the EFS next opens for applications.
To apply you must complete an application form and submit it by email to:
efsgroupinfo@daera-ni.gov.uk .
The closing date for applications is 3pm on Friday 5 May 2017.
