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Window 2 of the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) closed at 15:48 on Tuesday 22 September 2026. Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit an application.<\/p>\n
We have seen strong interest in the scheme and are grateful to all those who chose to apply in this window.<\/p>\n
If you receive an agreement offer, please make sure you accept it within 30 calendar days, or the offer will be withdrawn.<\/p>\n
If you are not successful in getting an agreement, eligible farmers and land managers will have another opportunity to apply for the SFI in 2027. We will publish details on next year\u2019s SFI offer in due course.<\/p>\n
Processing times<\/p>\n
Now Window 2 has closed, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will continue to process applications as quickly and efficiently as possible. It\u2019s important to note that agreements will only be offered to eligible applications if sufficient budget remains.<\/p>\n
Applications are processed in the order in which they were submitted. Some applications require additional checks and can therefore take longer to assess.<\/p>\n
We will provide an update on when successful applicants can expect to receive their agreement offer in due course.<\/p>\n
Started but not submitted applications<\/p>\n
If you started an application but did not submit it before Window 2 closed, you will not be able to submit it. This is because we closed the window when we had enough applications to allocate the full Window 2 budget.<\/p>\n
We will allow two small \u2018exception groups\u2019, who contacted the RPA before Window 2 closed, to continue with their applications. They are:<\/p>\n
\u2018assisted digital\u2019 farmers – who need the RPA to complete an application on their behalf<\/p>\n
\u2018technical issue\u2019 farmers – farmers who were prevented from applying because of a technical issue with the application service<\/p>\n
The RPA will contact \u2018started but not submitted\u2019 Window 2 farmers in due course to confirm whether their applications will be withdrawn, or they\u2019re in an exception group and can continue with their application.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Farmers who didn\u2019t apply for Window 2 may be eligible to apply for the SFI offer in 2027. We will publish more details in due course.<\/p>\n
Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)<\/p>\n
If you\u2019ve applied for SFI26 on SSSI land, it\u2019s important that you submit the required SSSI notice to get consent from Natural England<\/a> as soon as possible.<\/p>\n The RPA cannot offer you an SFI26 agreement until you\u2019ve done this.<\/p>\n Read section 10.1 \u2018SSSI consent\u2019 in the SFI26 scheme rules and guidance<\/a> to find out how to do this.<\/p>\n Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier<\/p>\n Other funding opportunities remain available.<\/p>\n Countryside Stewardship (CSHT)<\/a> remains open to new applicants. Those invited to apply by Natural England<\/a> can secure 10-year agreements, combining 132 land management actions and capital grant items.<\/p>\n Additionally, the new Expression of Interest (EOI) process<\/a> provides a simpler route into CSHT. You can submit EOIs for woodland improvement and agroforestry, as well as new single-focus agreements for management of species rich grassland and scheduled monument management.<\/p>\n SFI26 statistics at a glance<\/p>\n We will publish official statistics on SFI26 Window 2 agreement and action uptake in due course.<\/p>\n