The government have announced the immediate closure of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) as of yesterday (11th March 2025). The announcement came with no warning and marks a huge loss both for the farming industry and the environment.

What you need to do right now

We will continue to support clients who have existing SFI agreements, and these will be paid as normal under the terms of the agreement.

For clients who were earlier in the process the rules are as follows;

  • If you have been offered an agreement but haven’t yet accepted, you will need to accept the offer within 10 days or risk it being withdrawn.
  • If you have submitted an application but not yet received an agreement, the RPA should still make you an offer, providing you are eligible.
  • If you have started an application but not yet submitted due to an RPA error or failure, then you should still be able to submit an application once the issues are resolved.

For any clients who fall into the above categories, please get in touch and we can discuss your situation and how to proceed.

What happens next?

The government announcement states that details of a revised scheme will be announced in Summer 2025. It is likely to be a very different scheme, with funding limited to options which can demonstrate the greatest environmental advantage.

What else do you need to know

Whilst the news on SFI is undoubtedly negative, it is worth reviewing some of the other grant options due to launch this Summer.

The Capital Grant funding offer is still scant on detail but previous iterations paid for capital works, such as fencing and hedging and some endorsed actions such as concreting and roofing over.

The Farming and Technology Fund, also due to launch in Summer, offers grants for equipment, technology and small infrastructure to boost productivity.

Finally, for a limited number of farmers, the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier might be a route worth pursuing. Application is by invitation only and is likely to be directed to land which includes important environmental or historic sites. However, if you think you might be eligible, please contact us to discuss this further.

For any enquiries regarding how the announcement might affect your business, please do call the office and speak to one of the team.