SFI26: Window 1 now open

In this post, we cover the opening of the first application window for the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) offer.

This post also includes information for small farms eligible to apply in Window 1 if they have existing environmental land management (ELM) revenue agreements due to expire by the end of February 2027.

Applying in Window 1 

The first application window for the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) is now open. 

Window 1 is open to 2 groups: 

• small farms 
• farms without an existing ELM revenue agreement

You only need to be in one of the groups to apply. You can find the eligibility criteria for Window 1 in the SFI26 scheme rules and guidance on GOV.UK. 

 Before you start an SFI26 application, check that your digital maps show: 

• all the land parcels you want to include in your SFI26 application, with the correct areas and land covers. If you need to update your maps, use the Rural Payments service to ask the RPA to do this as soon as possible 
• at least 3ha of agricultural land - otherwise, you won’t be able to start an SFI26 application

Read section 7 ‘Get ready to apply’ in the SFI26 scheme rules and guidance for more information. 

Window 1 is expected to remain open for around 2 months. However, if demand is particularly high and the £60 million available for this window is fully allocated, it may close sooner.

We'll publish updates when approximately 25%, 50% and 75% of the Window 1 budget has been allocated, but we encourage eligible farmers to apply as early as possible. 

If you're eligible for Window 1 but do not apply during this window, you can apply in Window 2 later this year instead. 

Farmers with expiring SFI23, CSMT, CSHT or HLS agreements 

Usually, farmers with soon-to-expire ELM revenue agreements would not be able to access the full SFI offer until their existing agreement ended.

To help these farmers, we are developing functionality in the SFI26 application service to allow them to apply early for SFI26, before their existing agreements expire.

This affects farmers with agreements which expire by the end of February 2027, as this is the latest expiry date that would have allowed them to enter SFI26. Under usual circumstances they’d be forced to apply late in Window 2, by which point the window might have closed. 

We’re pleased to confirm that this new functionality will be available for Window 2 (from September 2026). For SFI26, it will apply to farmers with agreements expiring by the end of February 2027, under the following schemes: 

• SFI23 
• Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier (CSMT) 
• Legacy CS Higher Tier (CSHT) 
• Environmental Stewardship Higher Level Stewardship (HLS)

The new functionality will allow SFI26 agreements to start after the relevant soon-to-expire agreement has ended. 

Farmers with agreements expiring at the end of March 2027 or later may be able to apply for a future SFI offer. 

We’ll announce the timing of the SFI27 offer in due course. 

Small farms with ELM revenue agreements expiring by February 2027 

Some farmers will qualify as both:

• a small farm eligible for Window 1 
• a farmer with an existing ELM revenue agreement that’s due to expire by the end of February 2027

In this case, you may prefer to wait to apply in Window 2 once the new functionality is available. This will allow you to apply for the full SFI26 offer across land currently covered by your existing agreement, although your SFI26 agreement will start later.

Window 2 

Window 2 opens in September 2026 and will be open to all farmers and land managers who: 

• are registered with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and have a Single Business Identifier (SBI) at the point of application, and 
• have at least 3ha of eligible agricultural land linked to that SBI.

This includes those with existing ELM revenue agreements approaching expiry as set out above. 

SFI26 has a total budget of £240 million. Any funding not allocated through Window 1 will be available to applicants in Window 2. 

We cannot set a fixed end-date for Window 1 at this point, because this will depend on how many farmers apply.

Learn more 

In addition to the scheme information on GOV.UK, take a look at: 

Our SFI26 webinar

We recently held a webinar about the SFI26 offer and how to prepare applications. The session was delivered by the Farming Advice Service (FAS), with team members from Defra joined by colleagues from the RPA and Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF). It included a short presentation followed by a Q&A session, where attendees were able to put their questions to the team.

The RPA's how to apply video

This video, produced by RPA, sets out how to apply for SFI26 online.

AHDB's SFI cost benefit tool

The SFI cost benefit tool by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), enables farmers and land managers to select actions and volumes of those actions they are considering to include in their agreement. The tool asks you to estimate how much you think it would cost to complete the action and takes the difference between payment rate and estimated cost to calculate a revenue benefit.

The Getting started with SFI in 2026 leaflet

Discover how SFI26 can support your farm and reward nature-friendly practices. This leaflet provides an introduction to the scheme, including the actions you can take, the payments available, and the benefits for your business and the environment.

How SFI is helping a small farm improve profitability and resilience

Farmer Edward Earnshaw shares how SFI actions are helping his family farm simplify management, reduce input costs and improve profitability while delivering environmental benefits.

Subscribe to the Farming Blog 

For the latest updates from the Farming and Countryside team, subscribe to the Farming Blog. By subscribing, you'll receive an email whenever we publish a new post.