Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine
Innovative Forest Technology Scheme: Module 4 - Temporary Forest Access Grant
Module 4 of the Innovative Forest Technology Scheme provides grant aid for temporary/portable bridges and trackways that facilitate timber mobilisation and protect environmentally sensitive sites where permanent road construction is not financially viable. Grant aid covers up to 65% of eligible costs, up to a maximum of €20,000 per project.
- Grant range
- Up to €20,000 per project
- Funding level
- 65%
- Support type
- Grant
- Last checked
- 3 Sept 2026
About this scheme
Module 4 of the Innovative Forest Technology Scheme 2023-2027 funds temporary/portable/modular bridges and trackways that let forest owners mobilise timber and access environmentally sensitive or smaller sites without the cost of permanent road or bridge construction. Eligible equipment includes portable bridge systems (single-HGV-transportable, engineer-certified for 44-100 tonne load capacity) and temporary trackway systems (modular metal/timber/HDPE/rubber/composite panels, load rating over 50 tonnes). Benefits include making access viable for smaller forests, repeated reuse across multiple sites, reduced in-stream works at water crossings, and improved safety versus improvised crossings. Eligible applicants are Forestry Producer Groups, established forestry machinery contractors, and established forestry companies. Aid is payable at up to 65% of accepted net costs, capped at €20,000 per project, with around 4 projects funded per year via a competitive scoring process. Successful applicants sign a Grant Offer Agreement and complete the purchase within 3 months.
Who can apply
- Eligible applicants are limited to: Forestry Producer Groups, Established Forestry Machinery Contractors, and Established forestry companies
- Applications for approval are only accepted on the official Innovative Forest Technology Application Form
- Equipment must meet the scheme's technical specifications for portable bridges (e.g. transportable in a single HGV load, engineer-certified load capacity, minimum deck width) or temporary trackways (e.g. modular panel construction, minimum panel size, minimum load rating)
- Only new equipment is eligible; expenditure on second-hand equipment does not qualify
- Projects are selected on a competitive basis, so meeting eligibility does not guarantee a Grant Offer
How to apply
- Submit an application on the official Innovative Forest Technology Application Form, by post to the Preapproval Section, Forestry Division, or by email to Approvals.ForestService@agriculture.gov.ie.
- Applications are evaluated in three steps: (1) a pass/fail document completeness check; (2) a detailed project assessment scored against 4 criteria out of 1,000 marks, requiring 500+ to pass; (3) where the scheme is oversubscribed, passing applications are ranked and funded by highest score against the available budget.
- If successful, sign and return the Grant Offer Agreement to the Department within 21 days of the offer being made.
- Purchase the equipment (new only) within 3 months of accepting the Grant Offer, ensuring full ownership transfers to the applicant before claiming payment.
- Submit Form 2 (Application for Grant Payment) with proof of expenditure within 4 months of signing the Grant Offer Agreement; register on the Department's Corporate Customer System (CCS) and receive payment by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT), net of VAT.