In the second half of April, the 7th application round will open, introducing five calls focused on rural development, forest management, and non-agricultural business activities. Nearly CZK 2 billion will be distributed among applicants in this round.
A significant portion of the funds will be directed toward investments in non-agricultural activities, helping farmers diversify their income streams. Additionally, the forestry sector will receive support for investments in technologies, infrastructure, non-productive measures, and water management interventions within forest environments.
Forestry calls will offer support for the construction and reconstruction of forest roads, the purchase of machinery and technology for forest work, the modernization of forest nurseries, and equipment for sawmill operations. Simultaneously, funding will be available for retention, anti-erosion, and flood protection measures, as well as improvements to visitor infrastructure. Agricultural entrepreneurs can obtain subsidies to expand their activities into non-agricultural fields, such as craft workshops, wood processing, specialized construction work, agrotourism, or pellet production.
"The seventh round brings a significant simplification of administration and a reduction in sanctions, giving applicants greater certainty and room to correct minor errors. For the first time, they will be able to rectify failures to meet selected deadlines or conditions, and it will be sufficient to submit some documents only at the time of the payment request. We expect these adjustments to significantly reduce the number of terminated administrations and overall improve the project implementation process," emphasizes Martin Kalous, subsidy expert at Grant Thornton.
Technological Investments in Forestry
Support in this call is focused on technological investments that strengthen both the productive and non-productive functions of forests, support the replacement of existing machinery with more environmentally friendly technologies, and improve the ability to respond to calamities. Subsidies are also aimed at the technological development of forest nurseries, specifically increasing the quality and availability of planting material for the reforestation of cleared areas. To increase the income diversification of forestry enterprises, support is also provided for technologies for basic wood processing.
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Eligible Applicants: Forest owners, forest nursery operators, entities operating in forestry and logging, and those in basic wood processing.
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Support Rate: 50% of eligible expenditures.
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Support Amount: Max. CZK 50 million.
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Application Period: April 28 – May 19, 2026.
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Territorial Implementation: Czech Republic excluding Prague.
Forestry Infrastructure
This call focuses on the construction of new forest roads and the reconstruction of existing ones. The goal is to address the low density of the current forest road network and the deteriorated state of many roads following the removal of calamity timber. Projects that significantly contribute to increasing the quality and density of the network will be prioritized.
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Eligible Expenditures: Construction of new forest roads, reconstruction and technical appreciation of existing roads (including all necessary components), design and survey work, and engineering activities. Land acquisition is also eligible.
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Eligible Applicants: Forest owners or entities with rights to them.
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Support Rate: 80% of eligible expenditures.
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Support Amount: Max. CZK 80 million.
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Application Period: April 28 – May 19, 2026.
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Territorial Implementation: Czech Republic excluding Prague.
Investments in Non-Agricultural Activities
The aim of this call is to boost economic activity and employment in rural areas while maintaining or developing local services. The support helps agricultural entrepreneurs diversify into non-agricultural fields through construction and technological investments that create new, stable sources of income.
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Opportunities for Diversification: Non-food use of agricultural production, craft production, retail, wood processing, specialized construction, or agrotourism.
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Eligible Applicants: Agricultural entrepreneurs (micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises).
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Support Rate: 25–65% depending on enterprise size and region.
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Application Period: April 24 – May 19, 2026.
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Territorial Implementation: Czech Republic excluding Prague.
This text was translated by AI
