Say your SFI23 agreement runs out in November. Or your Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier deal ends just as autumn cultivations start. You know a new scheme exists. You don't know if there's a gap before it starts, what happens to the actions you're already delivering, or whether your evidence file from the old agreement is still worth anything.
This is a live problem for a lot of farms right now, and Defra has just changed how it works.
The problem with an ending agreement
Agreements don't expire cleanly. Land under an old scheme carries obligations right up to its end date. Photographic evidence, diary entries and parcel records all need to keep running until then. Meanwhile you're expected to think ahead to what replaces it.
Do that badly and you risk two things: a gap in support between schemes, and a muddled evidence trail that mixes up what belongs to the old agreement and what belongs to the new one. Neither is a good position to be in if the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) comes asking questions.
What's changed with SFI26 Window 2
The Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) opened its first application window on 30 June, limited to farms of 3 to 50 hectares or those without an existing Environmental Land Management (ELM) agreement. Window 2 opens in September 2026 and is open to all farmers and land managers with a Single Business Identifier (SBI) registered with the RPA.
The change that matters most for anyone with an agreement ending this year: from Window 2, farmers with a soon-to-expire SFI23 or Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier agreement can apply for that land under SFI26 before the old agreement finishes. That closes the gap that used to sit between one scheme ending and the next one starting.
An exact opening date within September hasn't been confirmed. Given Window 1 allocated around 75% of its budget within two weeks of opening, it's reasonable to expect Window 2 to move quickly too once it's live.
Who this actually applies to
You're in scope if any of the following is true: you hold an SFI23 agreement ending in 2026, you hold a Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier agreement ending in 2026, or you simply missed Window 1 and have at least 3 hectares of eligible agricultural land linked to your SBI.
| Feature | Window 1 (June 2026) | Window 2 (September 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Who could apply | Farms of 3–50ha, or no existing ELM agreement | All farmers and land managers with an SBI |
| Expiring agreements | Not covered | Can apply for land in an expiring SFI23 or CS Mid Tier agreement before it ends |
| Budget status | Around 75% allocated by 13 July | Not yet known; strong demand is likely |
What SFI26 looks like once you're in it
SFI26 itself is a different shape to the scheme it replaces. The action list has been cut, the cap has changed, and agreements are shorter.
| SFI26 feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Actions available | 71, down from 102 (31 removed, including several assessment actions) |
| Annual cap | £100,000 per farm business |
| Agreements per business | One |
| Minimum land | 3 hectares of eligible agricultural land |
| Agreement length | 3 years (previously 5) |
Some actions that were common under Mid Tier or SFI23, including several soil, nutrient and hedgerow assessments, aren't in the new 71. If your existing agreement relies heavily on those, you'll need to check what replaces them before you apply.
What to check before September
Start with your expiry date. Know exactly when your current agreement ends, not roughly.
Then map your parcels against the new action list. Some of what you're doing now will carry across cleanly. Some won't have a direct equivalent, and you'll need a different action on that land.
Keep your evidence running to the end of the old agreement, in full. Photographs, dates and parcel references from your current scheme still need to hold up under RPA scrutiny for seven years after that agreement ends or terminates, whichever is sooner. A new application starting doesn't close that obligation.
Finally, be ready to move when the window opens. Window 1 filled fast. If Window 2 follows the same pattern, farms that hesitate risk missing the funding they were counting on.
What we still don't know
Defra hasn't confirmed an exact opening date within September, and hasn't said whether Window 2 will have a fixed closing date or will simply close once the budget is spent. It also isn't yet clear whether every Mid Tier action has a direct SFI26 replacement, or whether some land will need a genuinely different management approach. Treat any specific date beyond "September 2026" as provisional until the RPA confirms it.
What to do now
Check your current agreement's end date this week. Pull up your parcel maps and note which fields carry which obligations. Read the new 71-action list against what you're already doing, and flag any gaps. Keep your evidence discipline exactly as tight as it's ever been, right up to the last day of the old agreement.
This is precisely the kind of admin that gets messy when it's spread across a spreadsheet, a paper diary and a folder of phone photos. JustFarm is built to keep it in one place: a mapping tool that shows you which parcels sit under which agreement, an SFI planner that flags where old actions don't carry across, and an evidence organiser that keeps your record continuous through the changeover instead of split across two systems.
"Probably fine" isn't a compliance strategy, especially mid-transition between two schemes. If you want to see how it works before Window 2 opens, you can create a free account or check pricing if you need the full toolkit.
FAQS
Will there be a gap in payments when my SFI23 agreement ends?
- Not necessarily. From Window 2, you can apply for that land under SFI26 before your current agreement expires, which is designed to close the gap that previously existed between schemes.
Do I need to reapply for the whole farm, or just the expiring parcels?
- You can apply for the land in your expiring agreement specifically. The rest of your holding follows the normal SFI26 eligibility rules if you want to bring it in too.
How many SFI26 agreements can one farm business hold?
- One. SFI26 operates a one-agreement-per-business rule, alongside the £100,000 annual cap.
What happens to my old evidence once the new agreement starts?
- It still matters. Evidence from an ended or terminated agreement must be kept for seven years from that end or termination date, regardless of what you sign up to next.
