If your farm is over 50 hectares and you do not currently hold an RPA-administered ELM revenue agreement, June 2026 may be your most strategic moment.
Defra has confirmed that SFI26 Window 1 opens in June 2026 and is available to:
- Small farms up to 50 hectares
- Farms without an existing RPA-administered ELM revenue agreement
That second category is critical.
It means larger farms with no current SFI, Countryside Stewardship or Higher Level Stewardship agreement can apply in June rather than waiting for September.
Window 1 is expected to remain open for around two months, but it may close earlier if the allocated budget is committed.
This is not just access. It is a first-mover window.
Who qualifies for Window 1 without being “small”?
If you are over 50 hectares, you qualify for Window 1 provided you do not have an existing RPA-administered ELM revenue agreement.
That includes:
- No SFI23 or SFI24 agreement
- No Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier
- No Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier
- No Higher Level Stewardship
If you have any of those, and you are over 50 hectares, you wait for Window 2 in September.
What does not count as an existing ELM agreement?
- Private environmental schemes
- Supply chain sustainability schemes
- Landscape Recovery agreements
Landscape Recovery is not an RPA-administered ELM revenue agreement in this context.
The practical outcome is clear.
A 300 hectare arable farm with no current SFI or CS agreement can apply in June.
A 300 hectare farm already in CS Mid Tier must wait until September.
How JustFarm helps
JustFarm pulls your agreement data and RPA parcels into one place, so you can confirm eligibility and begin structured planning immediately.
If you are exploring how SFI26 agreements are built, our SFI overview page explains the structure clearly:
https://justfarm.app/sfi
Why this matters, the first-mover advantage
Window 1 has its own allocated budget.
That creates three advantages.
1. Dedicated budget
Funds allocated to Window 1 are ring-fenced for:
- Small farms
- Larger farms without existing ELM agreements
You are not competing against every farm in England in June.
2. Lower competition than September
Window 2 opens to all farms.
That includes:
- Large estates
- Businesses already in CS or SFI
- Land agents submitting multiple applications
September will see higher demand.
3. Policy risk management
SFI has previously seen high demand at reopening points.
When funding windows are capacity-limited, early access reduces uncertainty.
If budget allocation tightens later in the year, June applicants are already inside the system.
Prepared farms reduce risk.
The budget risk
We already know Window 1 may close before the full two months if the allocated budget is used quickly.
That matters for larger farms because:
- Agreement values are higher
- Action stacks are more complex
- Planning takes longer
Waiting until September exposes you to:
- A different budget pool
- More competition
- Potential policy refinements
June is not guaranteed access forever. It is an opportunity window.
How JustFarm helps
The JustFarm Planner allows you to build and test your SFI26 agreement before the portal opens.
You can:
- Model multiple action combinations
- Compare projected values
- Adjust coverage parcel by parcel
You are not building strategy while the window clock is running.
Find our more about Planner access:
https://justfarm.app/pricing
Planning around the £100,000 cap
SFI26 introduces a hard £100,000 per year agreement cap per business.
Large farms must treat this as a design constraint.
At typical mid-tier habitat rates, £100,000 equates roughly to 130 to 200 hectares of mid-value actions, depending on mix.
For example:
- £500 per hectare average → 200 hectares hits £100,000
- £750 per hectare average → 133 hectares hits £100,000
You cannot hold more than one SFI26 agreement per business.
That means:
- You cannot split land across two capped agreements
- You must prioritise actions strategically
- Year 1 choices define your ceiling
The cap does not reduce ambition. It forces prioritisation.
Strategic questions large farms should ask
- Which parcels deliver the strongest ecological return per hectare?
- Which actions align with rotation without harming output?
- Where is compliance easiest to evidence?
- What do you lock in during Year 1?
How JustFarm helps
Inside the Planner you can:
- Instantly see projected annual totals
- Identify whether you are over or under the £100,000 limit
- Compare scenarios side by side
- Remove low-value actions and test higher-value alternatives
You are optimising before submission, not after.
High-value actions to consider
Large farms seeking to maximise value under the cap should examine higher-paying actions carefully.
Examples include:
- AHW9 Unharvested cereal headland – £1,072 per hectare
- CIPM2 Flower-rich margins and plots – £798 per hectare
- AHW5 Lapwing plots – £765 per hectare
- BFS6 Habitat strips – £742 per hectare
- WBD3 In-field grass strips – £765 per hectare
High payment rates do not automatically mean high suitability.
Each carries:
- Establishment requirements
- Management constraints
- Evidence expectations
- Potential rotation impact
Stacking high-value actions without modelling compatibility risks conflict and inspection pressure.
How JustFarm helps
JustFarm maps each parcel visually and flags compatibility issues before you commit.
You can:
- Assign high-value actions to specific fields
- Check clash rules automatically
- Model cap impact instantly
- Store evidence against each parcel from Year 1 onward
High-value actions demand high-quality evidence.
Rotational action limits
Rotational actions can move fields year to year, but they cannot increase beyond the Year 1 committed area or value.
For large farms, this is critical.
If you commit:
- 60 hectares in Year 1
- You cannot increase to 90 hectares in Year 2
That makes Year 1 the ceiling-setting year.
Undercommit and you restrict your entire agreement.
Overcommit without capacity and you create compliance strain.
How JustFarm helps
JustFarm’s rotational management tools allow you to:
- Set a Year 1 ceiling intentionally
- Track which parcels carry rotational actions each year
- Receive conflict warnings if rotations overlap incorrectly
This prevents accidental breaches in Year 2 or Year 3.
What we still do not know
Some operational detail is still pending final confirmation.
Final budget allocation per window
We know Window 1 has a defined budget and may close early. The precise allocation figure has not yet been published.
Detailed action intercompatibility refinements
Action lists and payment rates are confirmed. Finalised operational guidance may refine:
- Stacking rules
- Evidence interpretation
- Land cap interaction
Prepared farms will adapt quickly if refinements appear.
What large farms without ELM should do now
If you are over 50 hectares and have no existing ELM agreement:
- Confirm eligibility status.
- Identify your highest-value and lowest-conflict parcels.
- Model how close you are likely to approach the £100,000 cap.
- Decide your Year 1 rotational footprint carefully.
- Begin baseline evidence collection immediately.
The administrative burden does not disappear because you are large. It increases.
If you cannot prove it, it did not happen.
How JustFarm helps large farms maximise the opportunity
JustFarm is designed for complex, multi-parcel businesses.
Planner
- Model different action combinations
- Optimise to approach the £100,000 cap strategically
- Test multiple scenarios
JustFarm Pro Account
Field-by-field mapping
- See which of the 71 SFI26 actions fit which parcels
- Visualise stacking and conflicts
Cap calculator
- Instant projected annual totals
- Clear visibility of remaining headroom
Rotational planning
- Set Year 1 ceilings deliberately
- Track movement across three years
- Avoid accidental overcommitment
Compliance dashboard
- Monitor evidence completeness across all parcels
- Generate inspection-ready export reports
- Track declaration deadlines
Create a free account and start structuring your SFI26 plan now:
https://justfarm.app
Explore SFI planning structure here:
https://justfarm.app/sfi
See Pro features and Planner access here:
https://justfarm.app/pricing
First access does not last
June is a defined opportunity for larger farms without existing ELM agreements.
It is not permanent.
Prepared farms move first, secure their agreement, and build evidence from day one.
We will publish further updates as final guidance is released.
Build your structure before the window opens.
