Wrought iron gate

Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme


An annual grants scheme funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for the conservation and repair of traditional farm buildings and related structures. This Scheme is funded under State Aid in accordance with Commission Regulations (EU) 2472/2022 of December 2022 (on the basis set out in Article 36) declaring certain categories of aid in the agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.


An annual grants scheme funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for the conservation and repair of traditional farm buildings and related structures. This Scheme is funded under State Aid in accordance with Commission Regulations (EU) 2472/2022 of December 2022 (on the basis set out in Article 36) declaring certain categories of aid in the agricultural and forestry sectors and in rural areas compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

The Heritage Council, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine, manages the Traditional Farm Buildings Grant Scheme. The scheme's principal objective is to ensure that traditional farm buildings and other related structures that contribute to the character of the landscape and are of significant heritage value are conserved in active agricultural use.

Other related structures such as walls, cobbled yard surfaces, walled orchards, dungsteads, millraces, gate pillars and gates.


Who is eligible to apply for this scheme in 2026?

The Scheme is open to farmers in the Republic of Ireland participating in and accepted into one of the following Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine schemes:

  1. Approved participants in ACRES.
  2. Approved participants of the Organic Farming Scheme
    and
    Are the owner of the building/other related structure for which funding is sought or are acting with the permission of the owner (in which case the owner must provide consent).

What works are funded under this scheme

The grant supports 

  • the conservation of traditional farm outbuildings, including roofs, walls, structural repairs, windows, and doors. 
  • the repair of *other traditional farming structures such as walls, gate pillars and gates, walled orchards, cobbled yards and masonry dungsteads.

*You do not have to apply for a building. In 2026, we again encourage applications for the repair of traditional farming structures other than buildings. 

The key conservation principle of minimum intervention applies, that is, carrying out a repair to fix what is wrong but not setting out to do too much work. Works which are, in the opinion of the Heritage Council, restoration works, are very unlikely to be supported with grant aid. The process is highly competitive and in 2026 we expect that 40 projects can be supported. 

We hope to support more than 40 because we intend to ringfence a portion of the overall funding allocation for the repair of these other related farm structures. It should be easy and cheap to make an application.

The Grant Amount

Grant amounts vary between €4,000 and €30,000. The Heritage Council will make all grant payments on this grant scheme on behalf of The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.  A grant award will not be for more than 75% of the cost of the works with a maximum available grant of €30,000. 

Please note some grants will be for less than 75% of the cost of the approved works.

Scheme Documentation

Please read the guidance document and the terms and conditions below:

Information Webinar 2026

The Traditional Farm Buildings Grant webinar took place on Friday, 17th of April at 12 noon.

Watch it back below. 


How to apply 

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is 5pm Monday 18th May 2026.

You must apply online to this grant scheme

https://www.heritagecouncil.ie/funding/on-line-grants-system

Please click on the RESOURCES tab above where you will find short films and presentations on different projects supported under the scheme over the years.

Evaluation of the Scheme in 2022

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine recently commissioned an evaluation of the scheme in 2022. You can read this report below.

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Below is an advice note on sourcing a conservation consultant:

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