Sustainable Farming Incentive

The overall objective for SFI remains the same: to support farmers to manage their land in ways that deliver environmental benefits as they produce food.

SFI26 brings with it several changes following DEFRA's consultation with over 30 stakeholder organisations. A total of 71 actions are included in the offer.

Application windows

Window 1 will open in June 2026 and will remain open for around 2 months – although it may close sooner if demand is high and the Window 1 budget is fully allocated.

It will be open to 2 groups:

• small farms (those with up to 50 hectares (ha) of agricultural land)
• farms without an existing environmental land management (ELM) revenue agreement.

Window 2 will open in September 2026 for all farms. The end-date at this point remains unknown, as it will be subject to the number of applications.

A number of new limits have been brought in to ensure more farms can be supported. Payment rates have seen both reductions and increases, depending on the action. Find the full details here. 

Preparation is key

Now is the time to start preparing mapping, rotations and your evidence structures. For the best chance of submitting a strong application, talk to one of our agricultural advisors. We can provide support on a commercial basis at a very competitive rate. Complete the form below and one of our team will get in touch with you as soon as possible.