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Know How / Payments, schemes and grants

Support payments are a vital income stream for almost every farm business – whether they are delivered through the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) or one of a range of agri-environment schemes.

This page offers the latest news on the main schemes operating across each of the devolved regions and also highlights other opportunities for farmers to access grant funds.

Key areas of focus:

  • Basic Payment Scheme developments
  • Agri-environment grant schemes
  • Grants to support equipment purchases
  • Rural development grant funding
  • Bursaries and scholarships

Case studies

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NUTRITION AND FERTILISER

How environmental rewards have come from a regen approach

The environmental impact of every input and field operation is considered before it becomes part of the regenerative system at Whitbread Farms, near Biggleswade in Bedfordshire. As a result, some…

ELM

SFI: Two growers weigh up the pros and cons

Fears about how it would work in practice and doubts about the payment rates on offer saw the Sustainable Farming Incentive get off to a slow start, with just a…

PLANNING PERMISSION

Farmers deterred from tree planting over planning battles

Farmers are withdrawing from woodland projects because of regulatory hurdles and pressure from environmentalists according to Iain Kyle, a farmer and forestry consultant based near Carlisle. He says tree projects…

PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTS

Environmental schemes: Should farmers make the switch now?

Buying an outlying 40ha block of arable land just as the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) is being introduced gives Salisbury Monitor Farm host Ben Jeans the opportunity to weigh up…

ARABLE

SFI Pilot: Two arable farmers share their experiences to date

The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) pilot is giving farmers an opportunity to help shape the future of farming in England, with participants being able to choose the standards and ambition…

ARABLE

Why a climate-positive farm shows value of natural capital

The 1,000ha Cholderton Estate has achieved climate-positive status by capturing more greenhouse gases than it emits, while showing that it is possible to run a profitable farming business in countryside…

Practical advice

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ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES

How to deliver landscape-scale change through farm clusters

Farmer cluster groups are meeting local environmental priorities both on their own farms and beyond their boundaries. The term “cluster” was adopted, because it describes how members of these groups…

PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTS

Rural England Prosperity Fund: What is it and how to access it

The government announced the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) in 2022 as a top-up to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). A total of £110m is ringfenced in the REPF…

LIVESTOCK

6 pitfalls to avoid when buying grant-funded gear

Poor rural internet connectivity and a long and exacting series of hoops to jump through can make grant applications for farming equipment a challenging process. The Farming Equipment and Technology…

ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES

Landscape Recovery scheme round two: How it works

The second round of the Landscape Recovery (LR) scheme is open for applications, with Defra setting a target to sign up a further 25 projects. The scheme, which launched last…

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Farm business challenges highlighted by free advice scheme

We asked two firms offering free farm business advice through the Future Farm Resilience Fund (FFRF) for some of the common themes emerging from their discussions with farmers. The issues…

BPS

BPS claims: Hints and tips for 2023

The Basic Payment Scheme scheme may be well-established, but there are always aspects with the potential to trip up applicants. As the deadline for applications in all regions approaches on…

BPS calculator

BPS online calculator

Direct Payments in England will be phased out from 2021 to 2027 and details of the percentage reductions have now been released by Defra. Download this calculator, provided by Albert Goodman, to see how this affects you.

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Insights

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ELM

Analysis: Time for a closer look as SFI opens for business

With the latest iteration of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) due to open for applicants on Monday (18 September), a growing number of farmers in England will be asking themselves…

ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMES

SFI 2023: What's on offer for arable farmers

The full version of the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2023 for England was revealed in June, receiving a mixed reception from growers and advisers alike. With 23 actions and a far…

ELM

Environmental Land Management - your questions answered

Earlier this year, after much clamour for more detail about the new post-Brexit policy for English farmers, Defra finally set out its plans for the next stage of its Environmental…

BUSINESS

Environmental land use tax consultation a step forwards

A consultation on the tax treatment of long-term land use changes for environmental schemes is a step towards clarifying whether 100% agricultural property relief from inheritance tax should be available…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Will arable farmers opt for Sustainable Farming Incentive?

Finally, there's some clarity about what the Sustainable Farming Incentive will offer, with six new standards on top of the three existing ones, three-year agreements, quarterly payments, and simpler online…

AGRICULTURAL TRANSITION

How upland farmers are pooling resources to plug funding gap

As Defra starts to roll out more of its Environmental Land Management (ELM) scheme, ministers and civil servants have been quick to claim there is plenty in it for upland…

BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Outlook 2023: Plan for transition amid ELM uncertainty

Much uncertainty remains over life after the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), but farmers should make what plans they can in the interim to minimise the effects of transition on their…

ELM

Farmers support environmental measures but wary of SFI

Farmers are enthusiastic about protecting the environment and boosting biodiversity, but remain wary of signing up to the government’s post-Brexit farming schemes, a survey has revealed. Carried out online by…

PAYMENTS, SCHEMES AND GRANTS

LFA and 'coupled' supports at risk in Scottish policy plans

Money paid to Scottish farmers in the form of less favoured area (LFA) support and as “coupled” aid to suckler beef and upland sheep producers must be retained as direct…