The Sustainable Farming Incentive is taking applications again. Window 1 opened on 30 June 2026 with £60 million of the scheme's £240 million budget, and the pace of uptake has been striking: by 1 July — a day after opening — DEFRA's Farming Blog reported that around 25% of the Window 1 budget had already been allocated.
Who can apply in Window 1
Per the gov.uk guidance, Window 1 is for small farms — defined as a farm business with up to 50ha of agricultural land registered with the RPA and linked to its SBI on 1 January 2026 — and for farm businesses without a live, RPA-administered ELM revenue agreement on 1 January 2026. You need at least 3 hectares of agricultural land linked to your SBI to apply.
How long the window stays open
DEFRA's launch announcement says Window 1 is expected to remain open for around two months — but if demand is particularly high and the £60 million is fully allocated, it may close sooner. Further updates will be published when roughly 50% and 75% of the funding has been allocated. Given a quarter went in the first day, eligible farms should not treat the two months as a deadline.
Check your maps before you apply
DEFRA's practical advice to applicants: before applying, make sure your digital maps in the Rural Payments service show all your land parcels with the correct areas and land covers. With a first-come budget, sorting mapping errors after you start an application is time you may not have.
If you miss Window 1
Window 2 opens in September 2026 for all farmers and land managers registered with the RPA, and any funding not allocated through Window 1 will be available to Window 2 applicants. Remember two scheme-wide rules from the gov.uk guidance: each farm business (by SBI) can hold only one SFI26 agreement across both windows, and the maximum agreement value is £100,000 per agreement year.
Before you commit to actions
Several SFI26 actions cover nutrient management and water protection. If any of your land sits in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone, our NVZ compliance tool helps you check the baseline rules that apply alongside any scheme actions — so you do not commit to something the regulations already require.
Sources
- DEFRA Farming Blog — SFI26: Window 1 now open (30 June 2026)
- DEFRA Farming Blog — SFI26 update: around 25% of Window 1 budget now allocated (1 July 2026)
- GOV.UK — Get ready to apply for SFI26
This is a summary, not advice. Budget allocation moves quickly — check the DEFRA Farming Blog for the latest position and confirm eligibility in the official SFI26 scheme documents before applying.