Defra has confirmed a £240 million budget for SFI26 with £60m allocated to Window 1 applications due to open this month.
Importantly, it has also announced how the transition will work for farmers with soon to expire ELM revenue agreements such as SFI23, Countryside Stewardship, and Higher Level Stewardship. In a significant shift, Defra is amending the application software platform to allow these agreement holders to apply for SFI26 before their current agreement ends, avoiding gaps in funding and reducing the administrative disruption that has concerned many businesses. This new early access process is expected to be available for Window 2 applications from September 2026 but will not be available for any Window 1 applications. Defra has therefore suggested that farmers who would be eligible for Window 1 but who also have land in soon-to-expire ELM agreements may benefit from waiting until Window 2. Further details will be published before Window 1 launches. The RPA announcement can be found here.
