If you already hold an SFI23, SFI24, Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier, Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier or Higher Level Stewardship agreement, SFI26 changes your timeline.
You are not eligible for the June 2026 Window 1 unless you are a small farm under 50 hectares.
For most medium and large farms already in an RPA-administered ELM revenue agreement, the earliest opportunity to apply for SFI26 will be September 2026, when Window 2 opens to all farms.
That creates a waiting period. And with it, risk.
When can you apply?
If you are:
- Over 50 hectares
- And already in SFI, CS Mid Tier, CS Higher Tier or HLS
You must wait for Window 2 in September 2026.
June Window 1 is reserved for:
- Small farms up to 50 hectares
- Farms without an existing RPA-administered ELM revenue agreement
If you are under 50 hectares and already in SFI or CS, you can still apply in June under the small farm route. Everyone else waits.
This is a structural policy choice. It is not discretionary.
The waiting game, and the risk
By the time September opens:
- Window 1 applicants have already secured agreements
- A defined portion of the overall SFI26 budget will already be allocated
- Demand may be higher
Defra has confirmed Window 1 has its own budget and may close early if allocated quickly.
What remains for Window 2 has not yet been confirmed.
Why this matters
If overall demand is strong, Window 2 could:
- Face tighter budget headroom
- Close earlier than expected
- Be more competitive
Existing agreement holders are not being penalised directly. But structurally, they are applying later.
That is a commercial disadvantage if funding is constrained.
Prepared farms will mitigate that risk by planning now, not in September.
What happens to your existing agreement?
The fundamentals are clear.
Existing agreements continue unchanged
If you hold an SFI23 or SFI24 agreement, it continues to its agreed end date.
If you hold a Countryside Stewardship agreement, it also continues under its existing terms.
There is no automatic termination.
Payment rate reductions are not retroactive
SFI26 includes payment rate adjustments on certain actions.
Those reduced rates apply to new SFI26 agreements only.
If you are already receiving a higher rate under SFI23 or SFI24, that rate continues until your agreement ends.
Upland payment increases do apply
Defra has confirmed that upland payment increases will apply to existing agreements.
For upland farms, that adjustment is positive.
Practical implication
Your current agreement is stable.
The risk is not sudden change. The risk is transition timing.
How JustFarm helps
JustFarm allows you to upload and manage your existing SFI or CS agreements in one place.
You can:
- Track agreement start and end dates
- Store evidence against the correct action year
- Monitor compliance status
This prevents drift while you wait for SFI26 access.
Actions being removed, what if you have them?
SFI26 removes certain high-uptake actions from the offer.
Examples include:
- CHRW1
- CHRW3
- CSAM1
- CNUM1
- CIPM1
If you currently hold these actions:
- They continue to their agreed end date
- You continue to be paid under your existing agreement
- You cannot add them to a new SFI26 agreement
Why this matters
When your agreement ends, you may not be able to replicate the same action stack.
Transition planning is not just about timing. It is about replacement strategy.
How JustFarm helps
Inside JustFarm you can:
- View removed actions alongside their SFI26 alternatives
- Model replacement combinations using the Planner add-on
- Compare projected payment differences
This avoids surprises when you transition.
Can you exit your existing agreement early?
At present, Defra has not confirmed whether early exits will be permitted to allow transition into SFI26.
Key considerations:
- Review your current agreement terms
- Check for break clauses
- Consider repayment implications if termination is allowed
Until formal guidance confirms early exit options, you must assume your agreement runs to its agreed end date.
This is a significant uncertainty for farms whose agreements extend well beyond 2026.
What if your agreement runs past the application windows?
This is one of the most commercially sensitive questions.
If:
- Your agreement continues past 2026
- And you are not eligible for June
- And Window 2 closes before your agreement ends
You may be temporarily locked out of SFI26.
Defra has not yet confirmed how overlapping agreements will be handled long term.
This creates three possible scenarios:
- You transition smoothly at agreement end.
- You face a funding gap between schemes.
- A new window opens later.
At present, there is no confirmed guarantee.
Waiting passively is not a strategy.
Transitioning to SFI26
Transition requires structural planning.
Stacking and compatibility
Review which of your current actions:
- Are retained in SFI26
- Are removed
- Have altered payment rates
- Have land caps
One agreement per business rule
Under SFI26, each business can hold only one agreement.
You cannot run overlapping parallel SFI26 agreements across separate land blocks.
Plan around your agreement end date
If your current agreement ends in:
- Early 2027
- Late 2027
- Or later
You need to map that end date against expected future SFI windows.
This is where timeline visibility becomes commercially important.
How JustFarm helps
JustFarm provides:
- A timeline view of agreement end dates
- Alerts as transition points approach
- Compatibility modelling using the Planner add-on
- Side-by-side comparison of old and new action mixes
You are not reacting at the end date. You are planning years in advance.
Payment rate changes to plan for
Some actions see significant rate reductions in SFI26.
Examples include:
| Action | Previous rate | SFI26 rate | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSAM3 Herbal leys | £382/ha | £224/ha | -41% |
| CAHL2 Winter bird food | £853/ha | £648/ha | -24% |
| CNUM3 Legume fallow | £593/ha | £532/ha | -10% |
For farms currently relying on higher historic rates, this will affect:
- Replacement strategy
- Overall projected income
- Long-term rotation design
Rate reductions are not retroactive. But they will shape your next agreement.
What we still do not know
Several important points remain unclear.
- Can existing agreement holders exit early to access SFI26?
- What happens if Window 2 budget is fully committed before you apply?
- Will action intercompatibility rules remain unchanged in final guidance?
These uncertainties affect long-term strategy.
Prepared farms will model multiple scenarios.
What existing agreement holders should do now
If you are already in SFI or Countryside Stewardship:
- Confirm your agreement end date.
- Review which actions are removed or reduced.
- Assess exposure to payment rate changes.
- Map likely transition timing against SFI26 windows.
- Begin modelling replacement strategies early.
Do not wait until your agreement is six months from expiry.
Transition planning is a multi-year exercise.
How JustFarm helps existing agreement holders
JustFarm is built for structured transition.
Agreement tracker
- Upload and manage SFI and CS agreements
- Track evidence year by year
- Avoid compliance gaps
Transition planner
- Model new SFI26 drafts while your current agreement runs
- Compare projected income
- Test alternative stacks
Action comparison
- View removed actions and likely replacements
- Assess payment differences clearly
Timeline view
- Map agreement end dates against SFI26 windows
- Receive alerts as transition points approach
Pro accounts
- Evidence capture and inspection-ready reports
- Compliance dashboard across all active agreements
- Support for complex multi-parcel businesses
Create a free account and organise your existing agreements now:
https://justfarm.app
Explore SFI agreement structure here:
https://justfarm.app/sfi
See Pro features and Planner details here:
https://justfarm.app/pricing
Transition favours the organised
If you are already in SFI or Countryside Stewardship, SFI26 does not create panic.
It creates a timing challenge.
Agreements continue. Payments continue. But transition requires strategy.
Build clarity now. Not at the end date.
