Window One for SFI26 Opening Next Month
May 2026
By Ellie Phair MRICS, Rural Surveyor
The first application window for the SFI Scheme 2026 will open in June for eligible farm businesses. To be eligible for Window One, farm businesses must:
- Be registered with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) on or before 1st January 2026, with some agricultural land linked to it on that date
- At the point of application, have a minimum of 3 hectares of agricultural land linked to it
- Have no existing ELM Revenue Agreement; or
- Be classified as a ‘small farm’, with a maximum of 50 hectares of agricultural land
If your farm business meets the criteria above and you are interested in applying to the scheme, please ensure the following are up to date on your RPA account before preparing an application:
- Digital maps
- Agent permissions to enable submission
- Registered contact details
It is important to note that each farm business can only apply once across the two windows, with a maximum agreement value of £100,000 per agreement year.
More guidance on SFI 2026 will be published in advance of the first window opening this month, including details of the available scheme actions.
Window One is expected to remain open for around two months; however, it may close earlier if the budget is allocated sooner.
If you would like to find out more about the scheme or prepare an application in readiness, please do not hesitate to contact your local GTH office and ask for one of our professionals.
If you do not apply in Window One, you can apply in the second window, which is expected to open to all farmers and land managers in September this year.
GTH’s rural team across the West Country are ready to answer any questions and help you navigate through these ever-changing grants and subsidies, offering expertise, strategic insight, and providing practical support. For more information, get in touch with your local rural office or email [email protected].