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by Vlad Minea

SFI26 opens on 30 June: who can apply first, and what has changed

The Sustainable Farming Incentive returns on 30 June 2026 with 71 actions, a £100,000 cap and a two-window rollout. Here is who is eligible for Window 1, the key dates, and what changed from SFI24 — sourced to DEFRA and gov.uk.

SFI26 opens on 30 June: who can apply first, and what has changed

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) reopens for applications in summer 2026. Here is a plain-English summary of the dates, who can apply first, and what has changed — with links to the official scheme documents so you can confirm the detail for your own business.

The key dates

According to the DEFRA Farming Blog (2 June 2026):

  • A small number of eligible farmers will be invited to apply from around 18 June as a test of the service.
  • Window 1 opens on 30 June 2026 and stays open for around two months, for small farms and farms without an existing Environmental Land Management (ELM) revenue agreement.
  • Window 2 opens in September 2026 for all farmers and land managers.

Who counts as a "small farm"

The gov.uk "Get ready to apply" guidance defines a small farm as one that had up to 50 hectares of agricultural land registered with the RPA and linked to its SBI on 1 January 2026. Your business needed an SBI with some agricultural land linked to it on that date to be eligible for Window 1.

What has changed from SFI24

  • The offer is streamlined to 71 actions, down from the 102 available under the previous SFI24 extended offer (Farmers Weekly).
  • There is a £100,000 maximum agreement value per agreement year (gov.uk); Farmers Weekly reports that 97% of farms with live agreements are already below this level.
  • Each farm can hold only one SFI26 agreement, and this applies across both Window 1 and Window 2.

Payment rates have moved

Some rates have changed significantly. Farmers Weekly reports herbal leys down 41% (from £382/ha in 2024 to £224/ha), limited livestock grazing (action UPL3) up 68% (from £66/ha to £111/ha), and organic conversion payments ranging from £96/ha for unimproved permanent grassland to £1,920/ha for top fruit. Check the official action requirements for the rate that applies to you.

Before you apply

Several SFI actions cover nutrient and water management. If you farm in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone, our NVZ compliance tool can help you check the rules that apply to your land alongside any scheme actions.

Sources

This is a summary, not advice. Confirm eligibility, actions and rates in the official SFI26 scheme documents before applying.