Sustainable Farming Incentive 2024 and Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants Update

Charlotte Turner, Graduate Surveyor, from Stags' Professional Services team based in Totnes, looks at the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) roll-out, and Countryside Stewardship (CS) Capital Grants options. 

As the controlled roll-out of the SFI Expanded Offer for 2024 continues, it is also worth considering the standalone Capital Grant options currently available.

The SFI 2024 offer combines similar actions found under previous CS mid-tier schemes with a wider range of actions suitable for grassland and moorland farmers, with quarterly payments and generally less prescriptive management requirements.

• Agreements will last for three or five years;
• Applications can be submitted at any time;
• Payments will be made quarterly;
• Applicants will typically have 12 months from the start of their agreement to establish ‘proactive’ actions;
• Multiple compatible actions can be applied on the same land parcel; and
• Agreements can cover land already contained in other schemes, so long as there is no conflict.

Funding for capital work such as fencing, remains available under standalone Capital Grants for which funding is available this year.

• Applications can be made at any time but you are allowed only one agreement per calendar year;
• There is no cap on funding but applications for funding in excess of £50,000 will require a supporting letter from your accountant;
• You will have three years to complete approved works;
• Any number of interim claims for payment can be made as and when the work is complete, so long as each is worth in excess of £500;
• Agreements can cover land already included within other schemes

If you are interested in applying for SFI or Capital Grants, or have questions about existing and emerging schemes,
please contact us on [email protected] or 01803 862002 .

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