Deer management training backed by fund worth up to £60,000

The Countryside Stewardship Training Fund (CSTF) has opened a funding round offering up to £60,000 to support deer management training, with applications closing at midnight at the end of Sunday, 13 December. The round is aimed at developing knowledge, practical skill and competence in deer management across the countryside sector.

What does the funding cover?

Two routes are offered. Route one supports the Proficient Deer Stalking Certificate Level 1 (PDS1): the fund meets 50% of the approved online theory fee, including value added tax (VAT), with the candidate paying the balance and the practical assessment fee, which is capped at £100 plus VAT where the assessor is VAT-registered. Route two supports the Deer Management Certificate Level 3 (DMC3) with 100% of the approved qualification fee.

DMC3 applicants must already hold the Proficient Deer Stalking Certificate Level 2 (PDS2) or Deer Stalking Certificate Level 2 (DSC2), with documentary proof, so the full-funding route is directed at experienced stalkers formalising their management credentials. The PDS1 route, by contrast, is open to beginners and to those with limited formal training, taking a newcomer through the theory of safe, humane and legal deer stalking before a separate practical assessment.

Who is eligible to apply?

The fund says the money is intended to help applicants develop their knowledge, practical skills and competence in deer management, supporting professional development across the countryside sector. It backs careers rather than sport: applicants need an educational, vocational or professional reason for the training, and the fund states it is not for recreational or sporting purposes. Applications must be made before enrolling on or paying for a course, and anyone who has already started or paid for the training is not eligible. Successful applicants must enrol within 30 days of their written award.

Why does the round matter?

Demand for formally qualified deer managers keeps rising as deer populations grow and public bodies ask for recognised credentials from those managing them on contract land. The round puts a funded path to PDS1 in front of newcomers with limited formal training, and removes the fee barrier entirely for experienced stalkers stepping up to the Level 3 management qualification. For estates and syndicates short of qualified hands, a funded round of this size is a chance to bring the next cohort of deer managers through at little cost to the applicant.

What happens next

Applications are assessed against the fund’s published eligibility criteria and close at midnight at the end of 13 December. Full details of the round, the criteria and the application process are on the fund’s website.