With Window 1 of the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) now closed, Defra has released agreement details.
Approximately 6,500 applications were submitted during Window 1, 69% were from small farms (farms with up to 50 hectares), 87% were from farms without an existing ELM revenue agreement and 56% met both criteria
The average annual agreement value in Window 1 was just under £10,000. Defra says this indicates that funding is being successfully distributed across a larger number of farmers, rather than concentrated among a smaller number of high-value recipients.
Applications covered all actions groups, with the top five being:
CLIG3: Manage grassland with very low nutrient inputs
CHRW2: Manage hedgerows
GRH7: Haymaking supplement
CSAM3: Herbal leys
WBD1: Manage ponds
Defra says that for those farmers who started an application but did not submit it before Window 1 closed, these will remain in the system and can be completed when Window 2 opens. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will contact these applicants shortly to explain the next steps.
