Ellice Hahne (FCG Midwest)

SFI applications for small businesses (under 50 ha) and farm businesses with no existing environmental schemes have opened on the 30^th of June. This application window will be open for 2 months, or until Defra have allocated £60m to new agreements.

In addition to the conditions above, businesses must have at least 3 ha of land (even if applying on a smaller area), and have been registered with the RPA, including land, by the 1^st of January 2026.

Businesses that do not fall into the first application window will be able to apply from September onwards (exact date to be confirmed later by Defra). Any money not allocated in the 1^st window will be added to the £180m budgeted for this application window. The window is intended to be open until March 2027, or until the budget is allocated. Defra have announced that the system will allow businesses with agreements which expire by the end of February 2027 to apply in the September application window.

There is likely to be a large uptake for the SFI again this year, especially with expiring Mid Tier agreements and the first SFI agreements running out and needing to be renewed.

Contact Ellice Hahne at ellicehahne@fcgagric.com or your local FCG office if you would like assistance with your SFI application.