The increasing interest in badger vaccination against TB has prompted Defra to review the terms of the Badger Vaccination Fund and they have now expanded the categories available for funding in 2013. As well as schemes within badger control areas and on land surrounding control areas, applications for 2013 are invited for new vaccination schemes involving two or more cattle farms in two new prioritised categories: the annual testing area comprising the counties of Hampshire, Berkshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Warwickshire, Derbyshire and Cheshire; and the rest of the annual TB testing area. Successful applicants will be awarded up to 50 per cent of their first year’s eligible vaccination costs.

This means the scheme is open only to new vaccination projects. You do not need to have obtained a licence to trap and vaccinate badgers to apply for a grant, but payment of the grant is contingent on the work being completed in 2013.

How to apply For more information, please email tbadmin@defra.gsi.gov.uk for an application pack; these should be returned no later than 14 June 2013. Applications received after that will not be accepted. We aim to let successful applicants know about their awards in w/c 8 July 2013. Applications received after that will not be accepted. We aim to let successful applicants know about their awards in w/c 8 July.