Schemes & Funding

Finding the right funding can make a real difference to the future of your farm or rural business. This page brings together the latest local funding opportunities alongside national DEFRA and Government schemes, helping you identify grants and support that could benefit your business. We regularly update this information as new opportunities become available, making it easier for you to stay informed and access the funding available to help you invest, improve resilience, enhance the environment, and support long-term business growth.

National Funding

Click on the boxes below to expand each funding section for full information.

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) 2026

Defra has confirmed a total of £240 million budget for SFI26, with £60 million allocated to Window 1. Any unspent funding will roll over into Window 2.
The new Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) 2026 is now open for Window 1 applications, offering a simpler scheme, shorter agreements, streamlined actions and a phased application process.

Application Windows

Window 1 (open now – check allocation)

Open to small farms with up to 50 hectares of agricultural land.
Available to farms without an existing ELM revenue agreement.
Closes after two months or when funding is fully allocated.

Window 2 (opens September 2026)

Open to all eligible farm businesses.
Closed when funding is fully allocated or by March 2027.

What’s Changed?

SFI 26 has been designed to be simpler and more flexible than previous rounds. Key changes include:

Three-year agreements replacing previous five-year commitments.
71 actions available, compared with 102 under SFI24.
A maximum agreement value of £100,000 per agreement year.
Only one SFI26 agreement per farm business (across both application windows)
Supplemental actions must be applied for along their related base action.
Rotational actions can still move between fields, but the total area cannot exceed that entered in year 1.
The SFI mangement payment has been removed for new SFI26 agreements. Existing SFI23 and SFI24 agreements are not affected.

Payment rates have also been reduced for three high-uptake options:

Herbal Leys (CSAM3)
Winter bird food (CAHL2)
Legume fallow (CNUM3)

Who Can Apply?

Eligibility remains largely unchanged. Applicants must:

Be a farmer or land manager.
Have eligible land located in England.
Have mangement control of the land for the duration of the agreement.
Have at least 3 hectares of agricultural land linked to their SBI at the time of application.

For Window 1, businesses must also:

Be registered with Rural Payments Agency (RPA)
Have held an SBI with agricultural land linked to it on 1 January 2026.
Have had no live RPA-administered ELM revenue agreements as of 1 January 2026.

Farms with Existing Agreements

For farmers with SFI23, CS MidTier, CS Higher Tier or HLS agreements which expire by the end of February 2027, the RPA have been developing functionality in the SFI26 application service to allow you to apply for land in those expiring agreements before their existing scheme expires. This new functionality will be available for Window 2 (from September 2026).

Small farms eligible for Window 1 may wish to consider whether applying during Window 2 would better suit their circumstances.

Preparing Your Application

Defra expects strong demand, before applying you are encouraged to:

Check your land maps and SBI details are up to date.
Ensure RPA have the correct contact information.
Review the scheme guidance and payment options.
Ensure you have the necessary permissions to submit and application.

Defra will publish regular updates as each funding windows reaches 25%, 50% and 75% of it budget allocation.

Keep up to date with the latest announcements and funding updates via Defra Farming Blog click here.

Full SFI Guidance is available on GOV.UK click here.

Capital Grants 2026

Capital Grants is due to reopen this July, with £225 million available nationally to support environmental improvements on farms.

The updated Defra guidance has now been published, giving applicants time to review requirements before applications open.

Funding Available

Capital Grants will continue to support practical on-farm improvements, including:

Boundaries, Trees and Orchards – up to £35,000
Water Quality – up to £25,000
Air Quality – up to £25,000
Natural Flood Management – up to £25,000

Applicants can include items from multiple categories within one application, with one application allowed per SBI.

Key Changes for 2026

There are several updates to the scheme this year:

Agroforestry items and woodland condition assessments have been removed from the standalone offer and are expected to move into Higher Tier later this year.
Tree guard item TE6 has been withdrawn and replaced with new item TE19.
Items TE7 and TE8 have updated specifications.

Defra is also placing greater emphasis on submitting all supporting evidence upfront, following delays and rejected applications in previous rounds.

Preparing to Apply

Farmers are encouraged to prepare early by:

Checking RPA registrations, maps and land parcels are up to date
Gathering supporting evidence before applying
Claiming completed Countryside Stewardship works to free up parcels
Reviewing cashflow, as grants are paid after work is completed

Applications over £50,000 will require proof of available funds from a qualified accountant.

Tenant Farmers and CSF Support

Tenant farmers with less than five years remaining on their tenancy may need landlord consent and will need to complete a land ownership control form.

Some items will also continue to require Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) support before applications can proceed.

To request a CSF visit for water quality items such as roofing and concreting which need endorsement complete this form: Catchment_Sensitive_Farming_Advice_Request_Form.pdf and then send to: csf.severn@naturalengland.org.uk

Full guidance and item specifications are now available on GOV.UK click here.
Learn more via Defra Farming Blog click here.

England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO)

You can apply to get funding to help create new woodland through the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO).

There are two types of payments for capital works.

Support for standard cost items & activites
payment towards the cost of instaling infrastructure to support woodland management or provide recreational access.

You can apply at any time of the year, applications can take between 3-5 months to process.

For guidance information please click here

Farming Innovation Programme (ADOPT)

The Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) is receving an additional £53 million, bringing total investment for 2026/27 to £123 million. Supporting businesses to trial new technologies and innovative approaches that improve productivity, reduce costs and strengthen resilience.

Delivered in partnership with Innovate UK, the programme supports innovation at every stage – from early research and development through to on-farm trials and commercial deployment. The investment also contricutes towards the governments commitment to invest at least £200 million in agricultural innovation by 2030.

A range of funding opportunities are available throughout the year:

ADOPT Full Grant: Round 8 – Closes 29 July – £50,000 to £200,000 for on-farm innovation projects and trials lasting up to 2 years.
ADOPT Facilitator Support Grant: Round 10 – Opens 9 July, Closes 29 July – £2500 to acess expert support to prepare a full application.
Feasibility Studies: Round 5 – Opens 15 July – £200,000 to £500,000 to test whether an innovation works in practive, with projects lasting up to 2 years.

For more information and how to apply click here.

The Animal Health and Welfare Review

The Animal Health and Welfare Review is a funded annual vet visit available to eligible livestock keepers in England.

It’s part of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway which is designed to improve farm animal health and welfare while also supporting productivity, food security, disease control, public health and environmental outcomes.

After the review, you can choose to undertake an Endemic Disease Follow-up, which is a second funded vet visit.

For full information, please visit DEFRA farming blog

Funded Poultry Biosecurity Vets Visits

Avian influenza remains a serious risk for poultry keepers, with outbreaks leading to the loss of flocks and movement restrictions that can disrupt businesses.

To help reduce the risk, the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway is offering funded Poultry Biosecurity Reviews. Eligible poultry keepers can claim £430 towards a vet visit, where they’ll receive practical, site-specific advice on improving biosecurity, along with a written report to help protect their flock.

The scheme is available to eligible poultry businesses in England that meet the minimum flock size requirements, and a review can be claimed for each eligible site.

Funded visits must be completed by 31 December 2028.

Visit Defra Farming Blog for more information and how to apply – click here.

Local Funding

Severn Trent Environment Protection Scheme (STEPs)

Currently open to new applications
Competitive Scheme
Application is online, normally takes less than an hour and you will receive an outcome within a month

For more information click here