Sustainable Farming Incentive

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI26)

The second application window for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI26) is expected to open on Tuesday 22nd September 2026, giving all eligible farmers and land managers in England the opportunity to apply.

Window 1 closed on 28th August following around 6,500 applications. Unlike Window 1, which prioritised smaller farms and businesses without an existing Environmental Land Management (ELM) revenue agreement, Window 2 will be open much more widely.

Our Stewardship & Grants team supports farmers across England with every stage of the SFI26 application process, from checking eligibility and identifying suitable actions through to preparing and submitting applications.second

Who can apply in Window 2?

To apply for SFI26 Window 2, you must be a farmer or land manager and your farm business must be registered with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and have a Single Business Identifier (SBI) when you start your application.

You must also:

have at least 3 hectares of agricultural land linked to your SBI when you start your application
have land that is eligible for the SFI actions you want to select
have management control of the land for the duration of the actions you choose.

Agricultural land for the purposes of the 3-hectare minimum includes arable land, permanent grassland and permanent crops.

Unlike Window 1, there is no requirement for your business to have been registered with the RPA by 1st January 2026.

Before you apply

If you are considering SFI26 Window 2, now is a good time to make sure your business and land information is ready.

Before starting your application, check:

your farm business is registered with the RPA and has an SBI
the correct land parcels are registered and linked to your business
your digital maps show the correct total areas and land covers for what is currently on the ground
your land-use information is up to date
your contact details and business information are correct
the appropriate permissions are in place if someone else will be managing or submitting the application on your behalf.

If mapping changes are required, it is worth addressing these as soon as possible. Be aware that mapping updates may also affect existing ELM revenue agreements.

Existing agreements

Having an existing SFI23 or SFI24 agreement does not automatically prevent you from applying for SFI26. However, existing agreements and actions need to be considered carefully to avoid incompatible activities or double funding.

New ‘start an application early’ functionality will also be available in Window 2 for some farmers whose existing ELM revenue agreements are due to end soon.

This applies to eligible:

SFI23 agreements ending between 30th September 2026 and 28th February 2027
Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier agreements ending on 31st December 2026
legacy Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier agreements ending on 31st December 2026
Higher Level Stewardship agreements ending by 28th February 2027.

Where this applies, farmers will be able to start their SFI26 application before their existing agreement ends. The new SFI26 agreement will not start until after the relevant existing agreement has ended, helping to prevent incompatible activities and double funding.

Choosing your SFI26 actions

SFI26 offers 71 actions covering areas including soil, water, biodiversity and sustainable food production.

Each farm business, identified by its SBI, can only have one SFI26 agreement across Windows 1 and 2, with a maximum agreement value of £100,000 per agreement year.

Applications cannot be amended once they have been submitted, so it is important to consider which actions are appropriate for your land and farming system before applying.

How CXCS can help

Our Stewardship & Grants team can support you throughout the SFI26 application process, including:

checking your eligibility
reviewing your land information and mapping
identifying the most suitable SFI actions for your farm
considering how actions fit alongside your existing farming system and agreements
preparing and submitting your application
providing ongoing support once your agreement is in place.

Whether you are applying for SFI for the first time or already have an existing agreement, we can help you understand the options available and how SFI26 could work for your farm business.

Further help & advice

If you would like us to review how SFI26 could work for your farm business or to discuss making an application, please get in touch on 01981 590514 or email info@cxcs.co.uk to speak to our Stewardship & Grants team.

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