SFI26: Window 2 now closed

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.

We have seen strong interest in the scheme and are grateful to all those who chose to apply in this window.

If you receive an agreement offer, please make sure you accept it within 30 calendar days, or the offer will be withdrawn.

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’s SFI offer in due course.

Processing times

Now Window 2 has closed, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will continue to process applications as quickly and efficiently as possible. It’s important to note that agreements will only be offered to eligible applications if sufficient budget remains.

Applications are processed in the order in which they were submitted. Some applications require additional checks and can therefore take longer to assess.

We will provide an update on when successful applicants can expect to receive their agreement offer in due course.

Started but not submitted applications

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.

We will allow two small ‘exception groups’, who contacted the RPA before Window 2 closed, to continue with their applications. They are:

‘assisted digital’ farmers - who need the RPA to complete an application on their behalf ‘technical issue’ farmers - farmers who were prevented from applying because of a technical issue with the application service

The RPA will contact ‘started but not submitted’ Window 2 farmers in due course to confirm whether their applications will be withdrawn, or they’re in an exception group and can continue with their application. 

Farmers who didn’t apply for Window 2 may be eligible to apply for the SFI offer in 2027. We will publish more details in due course.

Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs)

If you’ve applied for SFI26 on SSSI land, it’s important that you submit the required SSSI notice to get consent from Natural England as soon as possible.

The RPA cannot offer you an SFI26 agreement until you’ve done this.

Read section 10.1 ‘SSSI consent’ in the SFI26 scheme rules and guidance to find out how to do this.

Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier

Other funding opportunities remain available.

Countryside Stewardship (CSHT) remains open to new applicants. Those invited to apply by Natural England can secure 10-year agreements, combining 132 land management actions and capital grant items.

Additionally, the new Expression of Interest (EOI) process 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.

SFI26 statistics at a glance

We will publish official statistics on SFI26 Window 2 agreement and action uptake in due course.

Please subscribe to the Farming Blog to receive an email notification when we publish these statistics.

On 9 September, we published official statistics on SFI26 Window 1 agreement and action uptake.

These figures are based on the applications we received in Window 1, and the information provided by applicants at the point of application. They do not reflect final agreement figures, as applications are still being processed.

SFI in 2027

Ministers have committed publicly to stabilising the main design of SFI for the duration of this Parliament so that farmers and land managers know what to expect in the years ahead.

In keeping with the commitments made in the Farming Roadmap 2050, we plan to offer an SFI scheme in 2027.

Following Window 2 of SFI26, we will work with farming representative organisations and the wider sector to consider how we refine the scheme ahead of SFI opening in 2027. We will share more details as early as possible.

https://defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2026/09/22/sfi26-window-2-now-closed/

seen at 16:36, 22 September in Farming.