The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has recently published a summary of grants and other funding available to increase productivity, manage land to benefit the environment and support agricultural agricultural business.
Please note that 4. The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund has an imminent deadline for applications of Tuesday 12th May 2026.
1. Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) – currently closed for applications.
SFI pays farmers and land managers to take up or maintain sustainable farming and land management practices that:
o Protect and benefit the environment
o Support food production, and
o Improve productivity
These practices are referred to as ‘SFI actions’.
There will be 2 application windows for the SFI 2026 offer.
o Window 1 opens from June 2026for small farms and farms without an existing ELM revenue agreement.
o Window 2 opens from September 2026 for all farms.
Full scheme details will be published before applications open in June 2026. Read The Farming Blog ‘SFI26: details, definitions and what to expect’ for more information.
2. Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) – currently open to applications
Opened: September 2025.
Grant value: amounts vary depending on land management actions included in your CSHT agreement.
CSHT pays farmers and land managers to manage land in a way that:
o Protects, restores or enhances the environment, and
o Mitigates the effects of climate change.
3. Capital Items – opens in July 2026.
You can get paid for capital items through various capital grants to help you carry out management actions and improve environmental outcomes.
Capital Grants will open in July 2026. Scheme guidance and eligibility will be published ahead of applications opening.
Other capital grants are available now.
4. Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF)
Opened: 17 March 2026.
Closing date: midday 12 May 2026.
Grant value: between £1,000 and £25,000 for each grant theme.
The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) has 3 grants to help you buy items to:
o Improve productivity.
o Manage slurry, and
o Improve animal health and welfare.
5. Farming in protected landscapes
Open: apply at any time of year.
Grant value: amounts vary depending on your project.
Closing date: projects must end by March 2029.
Through the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme, you can apply for funding if you’re a farmer or land manager within an area of outstanding natural beauty or national park in England. You must be planning projects that:
o Support nature recovery.
o Mitigate the impacts of climate change.
o Provide opportunities for people to discover nature, and
o Protect or improve the quality and character of the landscape
Read the guidance for the FiPL programme to find out how to apply.
6. Improve animal health and welfare
Open: apply at any time of year.
Grant value: from £215 to £923 per review or follow-up depending on livestock type.
Farmers who keep cattle, sheep or pigs can get funding for a vet to visit their farm to carry out an annual health and welfare review, and an endemic disease follow-up.
7. Funding for research and innovation
You can apply for grants through the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) to:
o Improve agricultural and horticultural productivity, sustainability and resilience.
o Reduce the environmental impact of agriculture and horticulture, and
o Use science and research to develop solutions for practical challenges in agriculture and horticulture
More information is available on the FIP website.
Further information on all of the above schemes, including schemes that are currently closed and grants to create or improve woodland and protect tree health, can be found on the GOV.UK website.
