SFI agreement holders will all need to complete an annual declaration to confirm they have delivered against their agreement. These declarations are usually available from 2 months prior to the 12-month anniversary of the agreement, so all SFI23 agreement holders will need to keep an eye out for their declaration over the coming months.
How & where to complete the Declaration
It is important to submit your annual declaration within the designated period to receive the final quarterly instalment of your annual payment. To complete the annual declaration, log on to your Rural Payments Account and select ‘SFI applications and agreements’ on the Business Overview Page. From here, follow the steps to complete and submit the declaration.
For more information, see the Defra blog: https://ruralpayments.blog.gov.uk/2024/08/13/understanding-the-sustainable-farming-incentive-2023-annual-declaration/
SFI 2024
For new applications to SFI 24, there is still an invite only system in place, so if you are looking to apply, please make sure your business email address is correct on RPA online, and then complete a short expression of interest.
Invites will be sent to the business email address on the RPA account, so keep an eye out for any emails from the RPA.
Whilst waiting for the invite, it is a good idea to prepare by ensuring all land is registered correctly on the RPA system, and you are familiar with the scheme guidance, including all action requirements.
There are now 102 SFI actions to choose from for a variety of different enterprise types, so there is usually something for everyone! See the full guidance for what is available.
Help & advice
If you are interested in applying for an SFI agreement, our Stewardship & Grants team are available to go through the scheme options with you and identify which actions could work for your farm.
For further help and advice, please contact our Stewardship & Grants team on 01981 590514.
