PA2: Feasibility study

You must read the Apply for a capital grants plan guidance to understand the rules and how to apply for this capital item.

How much you’ll be paid

Up to 100% of actual costs

How this item benefits the environment

This plan will help you identify the works you should complete to create or restore habitat or features. The work may:

• improve biodiversity
• improve water quality
• help with carbon capture
• improve climate adaptation
• enhance priority habitats
• improve the historic environment

Where you can use this item

With written permission from Natural England or the Forestry Commission, you can use this item:

• as a standalone agreement to support a Higher Tier capital grant or Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) application or agreement to develop a management plan for complex situations or sites
• to set out requirements for capital items where there is no standard specification
• to explain how you might create or extend agreements across different holdings (including common land)

With written permission from Historic England, you can use this item as a standalone agreement to support an application for capital item HE1: Historic and archaeological feature protection.

If you’re applying for a successive PA2 on the same land for the same project, you must:

• provide evidence of what outcomes were achieved in previous years
• explain why you need funding for a new feasibility study, for example, to respond to a change in dynamic river or coastal habitats

What you must do to use this item

You must:

• agree who’s the responsible body supporting your application (Natural England or the Forestry Commission, or Historic England only with HE1 capital item applications)
• produce a detailed brief for the feasibility study and agree this with the responsible body
• provide the responsible body with at least 3 written quotations with specifications for preparing the study including any associated costs
• agree the selected quotation and grant contribution with the responsible body
• commission the feasibility study with the selected provider and make sure it’s completed in line with the specification by an agreed date
• submit a copy of the completed PA2: Feasibility study with your claim for approval

The detailed requirements for this item will be adapted to your site. You should discuss and agree these requirements with your adviser.

Evidence you must keep

You must keep and provide with your claim:

• consents or permissions connected with the work
• receipted invoices or bank statements where a receipted invoice is not available (if applicable)
• a copy of the feasibility study

Read the record keeping and site visit requirements in the Agreement holder’s guide: Capital Grants, Higher Tier capital grants and Protection and Infrastructure grants for more information.

Other items you can use with this item

You can use this item to plan for works to support the development of a Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agreement, as well as other capital items such as FM2: Major preparatory works and PA1: Implementation plan.

Advice to help you use this item

The following advice may help you to use this item, but you do not have to follow it to get paid. It’s not part of this item’s requirements.

Climate change

You should consider the local effects of climate change when planning works. *[CSHT]: Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier