Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI)

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) is sponsored by Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra). The 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, and improve productivity.

Sustainable Farming Incentive: guidance for applicants and agreement holders - GOV.UK Sustainable Farming Incentive: guidance for applicants and agreement holders What farmers need to know to get paid under the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), how to apply for funding and how to manage your agreement.

Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Rural Payments Agency Get emails about this page Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) Guidance is available to help applicants get ready to apply if they are eligible for the first application window (Window 1) for SFI26 . The near-final scheme information for the SFI26 is also available. Final versions will be published before Window 1 opens for applications.

Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26): scheme information SFI24: guidance for agreement holders SFI expanded offer and re-opened offer for 2024 are closed for applications. Agreement holder's information for SFI24 and re-opened SFI24 SFI23: guidance for agreement holders SFI 2023 is closed for applications.

Information for SFI 2023 agreement holders includes: SFI 2023 Handbook which contains the scheme rules, SFI actions in the SFI 2023 offer, and SFI agreement terms and conditions voluntary guidance on how to do the actions in your SFI 2023 agreement SFI Handbook for the SFI 2023 offer How to do the SFI actions for soils How to do the SFI action for moorland How to do the SFI actions for hedgerows How to do the SFI actions for integrated pest management How to do the SFI actions for nutrient management How to do the SFI actions for farmland wildlife on arable and horticultural land How to do the SFI actions for farmland wildlife on improved grassland How to do the SFI actions for buffer strips How to do the SFI actions for low input grassland How to make an annual declaration For all SFI agreements, you must make an annual declaration to the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) for each year of your SFI agreement.

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): completing your annual declaration How to make a rotational actions declaration If your SFI 2023 or SFI 2024 agreement includes rotational actions, you need to tell the RPA Rural Payments Agency about their location and area after the first year of your SFI agreement. You need to do this even if you’re not making any changes to the location or area of these actions.

Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): completing your rotational actions declaration Contact the Rural Payments Agency about SFI How to contact the RPA if you have a query about the Sustainable Farming Incentive. Sustainable Farming Incentive query form Added near-final SFI26 scheme information. 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.

Correction: The Sustainable Farming Incentive Expanded Offer for 2024 (SFI 2024) will re-open for applications from certain eligible applicants from **12 noon on 7 July 2025**. We have written to these eligible applicants. For all other farmers, SFI will **remain closed** for applications.

We have published updated SFI 2024 scheme information and agreement terms and conditions for the re-opened offer. The Sustainable Farming Incentive Expanded Offer for 2024 (SFI 2024) has re-opened for applications from certain eligible applicants, who we have written to. For all other farmers, SFI remains closed for applications.

Added a link to the ministerial statement on the decision about SFI applications that were started but not submitted before the scheme closed. Added a page for SFI expanded offer agreement holders. Removed link to SFI annual health and welfare review guidance.

This service has been replaced by a new improved offer and has its own collection on GOV.UK - Funding to improve animal health and welfare: guidance for farmers and vets. Update to SFI23: SFI23 will close to new applications from midnight on 10 June. Any applications already started can be submitted within 60 days of starting it.

Sustainable Farming Incentive scheme information is published to find out what's included in the expanded offer for 2024. Reminder to submit SFI23 applications by 31 December Removed reference to expression of interest (EOI). SFI Register your interest form link added SFI main page updated to include information about RPA contacting eligible farmers and land managers to express an interest in applying for SFI early.

Published getting paid for your SFI agreement Detailed guides for SFI 2023 - the separate sections the SFI 2023 handbook - added to the collection page. Page and content updated for SFI 2023. Added call to action box for SFI pilot participants Added link on how to apply online for an SFI standards agreement.

Added terms and conditions, how to guidance and contact information. No this page is not useful Thank you for your feedback Report a problem with this page Do not include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details. This field is for robots only.

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