Grants and Funding Schemes for Farmers, Growers and Land Managers

Guidance

Funding for farmers, growers and land managers

Apply for grants and other funding to increase productivity, manage your land to benefit the environment and support your agricultural business.

From: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Rural Payments Agency and Forestry Commission Published 9 March 2022 Last updated 31 March 2026
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Applies to England

Print this page Defra is looking for farmers, growers and land managers to join a user panel to help improve guidance and services on GOV.UK. Find out more information and how to take part in research sessions.

This page tells you about grants and other funding currently open or opening soon.

You may be able to apply for one or more of the available grants and funding schemes if you or your land are eligible. The guidance for each scheme will explain where this is possible.

Manage your land to benefit the environment

Apply through an environmental land management (ELM) scheme to farm productively and in a way that benefits the environment. There are 3 ELM schemes and supporting capital items.

1. Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI)

SFI is closed for applications.

SFI pays farmers and land managers to take up or maintain sustainable farming and land management practices that:

• protect and benefit the environment
• support food production
• improve productivity These practices are referred to as ‘ SFI actions’.

There will be 2 application windows for the SFI 2026 offer.

Window 1 opens from June 2026 for small farms and farms without an existing ELM revenue agreement.

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.

Managing an existing SFI agreement:

• SFI re-opened offer for 2024: agreement holder’s information for applications submitted during summer 2025.
• SFI expanded offer for 2024: agreement holder’s information for applications submitted by 11 March 2025.
• SFI 2023 agreement holder’s information.

2. Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT)

Opens: 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:

• protects, restores or enhances the environment

• mitigates the effects of climate change
  CSHT can be done on woodland, farmed land, land managed for nature or a combination of these. This includes important environmental or historic sites, such as:

• sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs)

• commons

• woodlands

• scheduled monuments
  CSHT will roll out in a controlled way by invitation, so everyone gets the right level of support.

Natural England or the Forestry Commission (or both) have been providing the relevant pre-application advice from January 2025 to enable the farmers and land managers to prepare an application.

You cannot apply for CSHT until you receive an invitation to get pre-application advice from Natural England or the Forestry Commission.

Read the CSHT guidance to find out when and how to apply for CSHT funding from 2025 and how to manage your agreement.

Managing an existing CS agreement: information for existing agreement holders.

3. Landscape Recovery

Closing date: the scheme is closed.

Landscape Recovery pays groups of farmers and land managers to do long-term, large-scale projects together. Land must be in England and consist of at least 500 connected hectares.

Landscape Recovery supports:

• net zero carbon emissions
• protected sites
• wildlife-rich habitat

4. Capital items

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.

Managing an existing capital grant agreement: information for all existing capital grant agreement holders.

Invest in equipment, technology and infrastructure to increase productivity

You can apply for grants through the Farming Investment Fund (FIF) to invest in new technology, equipment and infrastructure.

Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF)

The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) has 3 grants to help you buy items to:

• improve productivity
• manage slurry
• improve animal health and welfare Opens: 17 March 2026. Closing date: midday 28 April 2026. Grant value: between £1,000 and £25,000 for each grant theme.

Total budget: £50 million will be available to farmers, growers, foresters and their contractors, made up of:

• £20 million for equipment to boost farm productivity
• £20 million to improve animal health and welfare
• £10 million for slurry management

Water Management grant (round 2)

Grant value: between £35,000 and £500,000.
Closing date: now closed.

Water Management round 2.

Slurry Infrastructure grant (round 2)

Grant value: between £25,000 and £250,000.
Closing date: now closed.

Slurry Infrastructure grant.

Adding Value grant

Grant value: between £25,000 and £300,000.
Closing date: now closed.

The Adding Value grant is closed.

Improving Farm Productivity grant (round 2)

Grant value:
between £25,000 and £500,000 for robotic or automatic equipment.
between £15,000 and £100,000 for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.
Closing date: applications are now closed.

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:

• support nature recovery
• mitigate the impacts of climate change
• provide opportunities for people to discover nature
• protect or improve the quality and character of the landscape Read the guidance for the FiPL programme to find out how to apply.

Improve animal health and welfare

Get funding to 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.

Funding to improve animal health and welfare: guidance for farmers and vets.

Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare grant (round 1)

Grant value: between £5,000 and £500,000.
Closing date: invited applicants have until 11.59pm on 28 April 2026 to submit their full application.

Egg production farmers can apply for a grant to add a veranda onto, or upgrade or replace, existing laying hen or pullet housing to improve animal health and welfare.

Read the Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare guidance to find out how to submit your full application.

Calf Housing for Health and Welfare grant

Grant value: between £15,000 and £500,000.
Closing date: applications are now closed.

Calf Housing for Health and Welfare grant

Create or improve woodland and protect tree health

Creating woodland

The England Woodland Creation Grant (EWCO) provides funding to create new woodland on areas that are at least 1 hectare.

Open: all year round.
Grant value: up to £10,200 per hectare with an additional £12,700 per hectare if the woodland delivers wider benefits to society, nature recovery and the environment.

Explore the Forestry Commission’s overview of where to find grants for trees and woodland.

Creating regional woodland

If your land is located within the catchment area of one of our local Woodland Creation Partners, you could apply for a regional woodland creation or tree planting grant that can be tailored to your circumstances.

Catchment areas are as follows:

• England’s Community Forests – 13 local Community Forests across the country
• The Northern Forest – in parts of Lancashire, Merseyside, Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire
• The National Forest – right in the heart of the country, covering 200 square miles of the Midlands
• Forest for Cornwall – across Cornwall
• Great Northumberland Forest – across Northumberland Our woodland creation campaign tells you more about these regional grants.

Planning woodland

The Woodland management plan offers grants for 10-year woodland management planning.

Open: all year round.
Grant value: depends on the area of eligible woodland.

The Woodland Creation Planning Grant (WCPG) provides funding to prepare a Woodland Creation Design Plan that complies with the UK Forestry Standard.

Open: all year round.
Grant value: maximum £30,500 per project.

You can use this plan to support further woodland creation grant applications, such as EWCO.

Protecting tree health

You can apply to the tree health pilot scheme to test different ways of slowing the spread of pests and diseases affecting trees in England. Grants are available for:

• ash with ash dieback
• diseased larch, spruce and sweet chestnut
• oak with oak processionary moth
• restocking trees Open: all year round. Grant value:
• up to 80% of felling costs per m 3
• up to 40% of infrastructure costs

The Woodland Tree Health (WTH) grant pays you to restock or improve woodland after tree health problems.

Open: all year round.
Grant value: varies depending on the capital items chosen as part of your CS grant agreement.

Funding for research and innovation

You can apply for grants through the Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) to:

• improve agricultural and horticultural productivity, sustainability and resilience
• reduce the environmental impact of agriculture and horticulture
• use science and research to develop solutions for practical challenges in agriculture and horticulture More information is available on the FIP website.

Delinked payments

Delinked payments replaced Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments in 2024. The 2023 scheme year was the last year of BPS.

Delinked payments will be made each year from 2024 until 2027.

Updates to this page

Published 9 March 2022 Last updated 31 March 2026 show all updates
1.
31 March 2026

Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare grant (round 1) closing date amended to 11.59pm on 28 April 2026 for invited applicants.
2.
26 February 2026

Amended closing date of Farming Equipment and Technology Fund to midday 28 April 2026.
3.
24 February 2026

Opening dates for SFI 2026, Capital Grants and Farming Equipment and Technology Fund in 2026.
4.
8 January 2026

Updated end date for Farming in Protected Landscapes from March 2026 to March 2029.
5.
10 September 2025

Added link to Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier guidance for 2025.
6.
2 September 2025

SFI is now closed for applications.
7.
18 August 2025

The re-opened SFI 2024 offer closed for applications at 11:59pm on Monday 18 August 2025. Any applications received after this deadline will be rejected. The only exception to this is eligible applicants who receive written notification from the RPA that they qualify for a deadline extension. If this is the case, eligible applicants must submit their SFI 2024 application by 11:59pm on 1 September 2025.
8.
4 August 2025

Capital Grants closed for applications.
9.
10 July 2025

Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) closed midday 10 July 2025.
10.
12 May 2025

Added a link to the ministerial statement on the decision about SFI applications that were started but not submitted before the scheme closed.
11.
7 May 2025

Updated the Invest in equipment, technology and infrastructure to increase productivity section to include a link to the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2025. This will open on the 29 May 2025.
12.
25 February 2025

The Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme is being extended. Projects must end by March 2026.
13.
18 December 2024

Added call for farmers, growers and land managers to take part in a user panel to help improve guidance and services on GOV.UK.
14.
17 December 2024

Updated the Countryside Stewardship section to explain how farmers can prepare for the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier scheme.
15.
18 November 2024

From 2024, delinked payments replaced Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payments, Details for the lump sum exit scheme have been removed as the scheme is closed.
16.
18 September 2024

Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare grant (round 1) details updated because eligibility checker closes on 18 September 2024. Invited applicants have until 30 January 2026 to submit their full application.
17.
5 August 2024

Added a section on capital items and link to the new capital items collection page.
18.
16 July 2024

Removed duplicated 'Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare grant round 1 (LHHHW)' information from under ‘Invest in equipment, technology and infrastructure to increase productivity' header. Added when LHHHW is open and how much funding is available back into the LHHHW info under 'Improve animal health and welfare’ as this was missing. Also added back 'Calf Housing for Health and Welfare grant' info as although eligibility checker had closed, it's still open for invited applicants to make a full application.
19.
26 June 2024

Laying Hen Housing for Health and Welfare grant (round 1) is open to check if you're eligible to apply.
20.
19 June 2024

Updated the improve animal health and welfare section to include details on the 'Get funding to improve animal health and welfare' expanded offer.
21.
8 June 2024

Water Restoration Fund information removed as it is now closed for applications from 7 June 2024 at 11.59pm
22.
21 May 2024

Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme information is published to find out what's included in the expanded offer for 2024.
23.
9 April 2024

Added details of the Water Restoration Fund to the 'improve water and air quality' section.
24.
22 March 2024

Improving Farm Productivity grant eligibility checker closed on 21 March 2024. Updated the delinked payments section.
25.
20 March 2024

Added opening and closing dates for the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) 2024 grants.
26.
18 March 2024

Updated the England Woodland Creation Grant (EWCO) rate in the 'creating woodland' section.
27.
7 March 2024

Added a link to the SFI actions filter tool.
28.
20 February 2024

Page has been updated to include to more detail on the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) and closure of the Slurry Infrastructure grant (round 2).

References to the Farming Transformation Fund (FTF) have been removed. The Farming Transformation Fund grants are now known as Farming Investment Fund (FIF) grants.
29.
14 December 2023

Guidance for Round 2 of the Improving Farm Productivity grant added for the first stage of the application process that opens in January 2024.
30.
5 December 2023

The Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund opens for the third round of applications on 11 December.
31.
1 December 2023

The Calf Housing for Health and Welfare grant checker has now closed.
32.
23 November 2023

Slurry Infrastructure grant: round 2 eligibility checker now open.
33.
14 November 2023

Water Management Grant is now closed.
34.
27 October 2023

Species Survival Fund closed on 26 October 2023.
35.
20 October 2023

Added guidance links to closed schemes: Basic Payment Scheme and Lump Sum Exit Scheme for those who have applied.
36.
19 October 2023

SFI now open to all eligible applicants.
37.
12 October 2023

Round 2 of the Slurry Infrastructure grant is expected to open in November. Landscape Recovery scheme has closed.
38.
25 September 2023

We have updated the information on who can apply for the SFI annual health and welfare review funding.
39.
8 September 2023

Calf Housing for Health and Welfare grant is open to check if you're eligible to apply.
40.
24 August 2023

Added 2 woodland grants: Great Northumberland Forest and Forest of Cornwall and a link to the Forestry Commission campaign site.
41.
23 August 2023

You can now apply for an SFI annual health and welfare review if you're eligible to do so.
42.
15 August 2023

Updated the Water Management grant which is at Stage 2 for notified applicants successful at Stage 1.
43.
28 July 2023

Details of the Calf Housing and Welfare grant published.
44.
20 July 2023

Update grant value sentence for SFI from 'between £10 - £989 per hectare, depending on action ' to 'between £10 - £732 per hectare, depending on action'.
45.
19 July 2023

Content on this page has been restructured to show grants and funding open or opening soon for applications, closing dates and grant value information.
46.
21 June 2023

Added Sustainable Farming Incentive information for 2023 applications opening later this summer.
47.
25 May 2023

The information about Landscape Recovery has been updated to reflect the round two focus. A link to the guidance and to apply has also been added.
48.
28 April 2023

Updated information on the New Entrant Support Scheme.
49.
21 February 2023

Updated to include current and future funding available to farmers and land managers.
50.
7 June 2022

Restructured page to make it clearer what funding options are available to farmers, land managers and foresters.
51.
30 March 2022

A link to more information about the sustainable farming incentive has been added.
52.
9 March 2022

First published.

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