Frequently Asked Questions

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SW Land Match is a pilot project linked to Defra’s New Entrant Support Scheme taking place in 2023. SW Land Match is an online site designed to link up landowners or managers with people looking for land to start up or scale up agroecological farming business.

Tamar Grow Local CIC are managing enquiries and the SW Land match website, supported by Landworkers’ Alliance.

SW Land Match is currently managed in-house by Tamar Grow Local who will continue matching contacts up until the end of March 2025. It is hoped further funding will be available to continue the service and expand on support available after this time.

SW Land Match is a space where landseekers can find out about available land in the south west and landowners can find people looking for land. SW Land Match’s aim is to create introductions which could become suitable matches and save time in searching for both landowners and land seekers.

No. Tamar Grow Local CIC and Landworkers’ Alliance cannot provide any legal advice. All parties should seek their own independent advice when taking on land or creating a partnership.

No. Leases and tenancy agreements are location and situation specific and cannot be generic documents. To ensure you have robust and accurate agreements in place, you should take legal advice, or take advice from a professional land agent.

Good communication channels and a clear agreement or lease are the foundations of a good relationship and need to be established from the start. Find our communications guide on our website.

It is completely free to register your details at SW Land Match. There is no charge at any stage of the process during this pilot project. If the project is able to continue with further funding in the future a fee may be introduced to make the project costs sustainable.

We will contact you to tell you that your information form has been received and if we need any more details. If we then find any suitable matches, we will contact you to let you know and ask permission to share your contact details.

Matches cannot be guaranteed and no timescales can be given. It is hoped that by providing accurate details, applications can be suitably matched to avoid potential for unsuitable introductions.

We will contact both parties to give a summary of the landseeker’s plans / land offer and check if both parties would like to meet on an informal zoom call to discuss the offer and business idea. SW Land Match can help facilitate this call if required, or contact details can be shared between the two parties with their permission. 

If the call is deemed successful, an in-person meeting can be scheduled between the two parties.

No. Your personal contact details will not be published on the internet and any information about your land will only be shared with your consent. 

We will keep your information for the duration of the project, unless you contact us to remove your information from the SW Land Match records.

No problem at all. Please contact us on info@tamargrowlocal.org to remove your offer or information at any time.

If the project comes to an end, we will get in touch with everyone registered with SW Land Match to inform them of project closure and to confirm that their contact information will no longer be held.

If you are advertising land on behalf of a private landowner you need to gain the landowner's permission. We may ask for proof of permission if you are advertising private land.

Yes. You can also upload your own application form or provide a link to further application information.

Yes, if the job offer is directly linked to the land on offer. Please be aware that there may be employment law implications if you offer paid employment to someone.

You should contact a land agent or solicitor to find out more about Farm Business Tenancies as they are very different to other types of lease. Do also take a look at our useful documents available on the website.

An accountant or bookkeeper should be able to give you advice on this and any tax liabilities on rent received. You can choose whether or not to charge VAT on rents (if you are a VAT registered business) but again check with an accountant about the implications of this.

No. This project is primarily designed for landowners who can offer land for people wanting to start or scale-up their own land based businesses.

No. SW Land Match aims to match people who are likely to enter into a mutually beneficial land partnership, therefore this process may take some time and  so we can not give any guarantees as to if or when a match can happen.

A robust agreement or lease can support both parties if either party does not fulfill their obligations or responsibilities. Take proper professional advice and develop good, open communication routes from the start.

You should check with your existing home or business insurance to ensure your current policy is not affected or has sufficient cover.

Yes, of course.

No. All landowners will have different criteria for the kind of person they are looking for. Some may wish for a formal farming based educational background, but others may not. If you are looking to start a business without any relevant training or qualifications, you are strongly advised to gain more experience before looking for land.

All NESS participants looking for land are encouraged to register on SW Land Match, but will not be treated with preference.

The minimum age to register with SW Land Match is 18 years old. There is no upper age limit.

No. This project is only intended for landseekers looking to start up a farming based business.

We would recommend writing a business plan for your idea and gaining as much relevant practical experience as possible in the field of your business to be sure you want to take the next steps on starting your business. The financial, physical and emotional aspects of starting a land based business can be varied and many and so should not be undertaken lightly. If you have any doubts, please consider whether or not this is the best step for you at this time.

For landowners, inviting someone on to their land outside of their family unit may be a very big step for them. Providing references adds an extra layer of reassurance that a match will be a successful and positive thing to do.

No. Land based farming should be the main priority of your business when registering for SW Land Match

No. Applications are welcome from existing farming businesses looking to scale-up, as well as farm workers, contractors and those with land based experience.