It's been more than a month since Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) Window 2 closed, and the dust is still settling. Some of you have an offer in hand and feel real relief. Others are still waiting, and that uncertainty is hard to live with.
Wherever you are, here's where things stand. By 15 October, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) had sent about 2,500 agreement offers from roughly 12,200 applications. Offers are still going out in the order applications were submitted.
This follows on from SFI26 Window 2: what happened, and what to do now?, which we wrote the week the window closed. Here's what has changed since, what happens next for each group and what Defra has said about SFI in 2027.
Key dates
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Tuesday 22 September 2026 | Window 2 opened |
| 3:48pm on 22 September 2026 | Window 2 closed, with the full budget allocated |
| 11:59pm on 29 September 2026 | Last chance to report a technical issue |
| 15 October 2026 | Defra's latest update on offers |
| 30 calendar days after your offer | Deadline to accept it |
What happened in Window 2
Window 2 opened on Tuesday 22 September with a budget of £233 million. Ministers then added £20 million, taking the Window 2 budget to £253 million. The window closed at 3:48pm the same day, once there were enough applications to use it all.
About 12,200 applications were submitted. More than 8,800 came from farmers with an agreement ending on or before 28 February 2027.
Where offers stand now
Defra's 15 October update says the RPA has issued about 2,500 Window 2 agreement offers. Roughly 36% of those offers are now live.
Applications are processed in the order they were submitted. Some need extra checks, so they take longer. Agreements only go to eligible applications, and only if budget remains.
If you've had an offer
You have 30 calendar days to accept it. If you do not accept it in that time, the offer is withdrawn.
If you're still waiting
We know waiting is hard, especially when your plans for next year depend on the answer. Defra hasn't said when the last Window 2 offers will go out. The RPA is still working through applications in the order they arrived.
If your application includes SSSI land
If any of your land is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Natural England must give consent before the RPA can offer you an agreement. Defra asks applicants to send their SSSI notice to Natural England as soon as possible. Section 10.1 of the SFI26 scheme rules and guidance explains how it works.
If you reported a technical issue
Applications that were started but not submitted when the window closed can't be completed. There are two exceptions: "assisted digital" farmers and farmers who had a technical issue.
Ministers have since widened the technical issue group. It now includes:
- some farmers who started but didn't submit an application, and reported a valid technical issue by 11:59pm on 29 September 2026
- farmers whose submitted application was affected by a valid technical issue before the window closed, if they reported it by the same deadline: they'll be allowed to amend their application
Reports made after 11:59pm on 29 September don't qualify. Defra says the change doesn't set a precedent for future windows.
The RPA is still assessing reports, which may take a few more weeks. It will then write to farmers and agents to confirm where they stand.
Not every report will qualify. It won't if the system correctly blocked a combination of actions that can't go together. It also won't if there isn't enough evidence of the issue.
If you missed out
If you missed out, we're sorry. It's a real blow, and you're far from the only one. Defra has said it plans to offer SFI in 2027 and to open it as early as possible.
Other routes are open now. Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier is taking Expressions of Interest for woodland improvement and agroforestry. New single-focus agreements cover species-rich grassland and scheduled monument management.
This has been a high-pressure few months, and you might be feeling it. If so, you're not alone, and it's always OK to ask for help. Talk to someone you trust, whether that's family, a friend or your agent. The Farming Community Network also supports farmers and their families through difficult times.
What's next for SFI in 2027
Defra says it's exploring alternatives to first come, first served for SFI in 2027. It will use feedback from Window 2 to improve the scheme.
We've gathered what farmers and agents told us about Window 2 in SFI26 feedback.
What we still don't know
- How long it will take to process all Window 2 agreements
- Exactly when the RPA will write to farmers who reported a technical issue
- When SFI in 2027 will open, how big its budget will be and how applications will be chosen
- How the 2027 offer will treat farmers who missed out in Window 2
Be ready for whatever comes next
Whatever happens with your application, your existing agreements still set what you do on each field. Upload your agreement to JustFarm and Automated Agreement Mapping puts every action on the right field, on the Free plan. Clear Scheme Guidance then shows what each action asks of you: what to do, when and how to do it, the evidence to collect and the restrictions on each field.
Your existing agreement also decides what you can apply for next. Upload it once and you're ready when the window opens. Start for free
Got a question? Contact us and a real person will reply.
More on SFI: our SFI 2026 page
Join us live: introducing the JustFarm Rotations Planner
Where will your rotational actions go next year? Join our webinar on Thursday 12 November at 12pm for a practical walkthrough of the Rotations Planner.
We'll show you how to map actions field by field, plan across agreement years and check areas for potential conflicts. It's a chance to turn a changing rotation into a clearer plan, so bring your questions. We'd love to see you there.
