GovWire

All farmers who are eligible for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) can apply for a Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) standards agreement.

You can choose when to apply. Theres no closing date for applications. If applications close in the future, the closing date will be announced 6 weeks in advance.

You should usually receive your agreement offer within 2 months of submitting your application.

Check how to apply for an SFI standards agreement

Youll need to apply either online or by calling the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), depending on your circumstances.

When you can apply online

Use the Rural Payments service to apply for an agreement if youre eligible for BPS and are applying for SFI on eligible land outside a common. This includes land thats in a Countryside Stewardship or Environmental Stewardship agreement.

Read guidance about how to apply online for an SFI standards agreement on land outside a common.

When to contact the RPA to apply

You need to contact the RPA to apply for an agreement if youre eligible for BPS and are applying for SFI on common land.

You can also contact the RPA to apply if you cannot apply online for any reason.

Well respond to these requests as quickly as possible, and in most cases within 2 weeks.

What to do before you apply

There are some things you can do before you apply for SFI, to make your application easier.

Check your registered contact details and permissions

You should sign into the Rural Payments service and check your business and personal details are up to date.

You should also check your permissions. You can do this from your Business overview screen in Give people permission to act for this business.

To create an SFI application, youll need one of the following permissions:

• Business Details Full
• BPS Submit
• BPS Amend

To submit an SFI application, youll need either:

• Business Details Full permission
• BPS Submit permission

If you dont have the relevant permission, someone with Business Details: Full permission for the business can update the permissions. You can give someone else the relevant permission to apply on your behalf. Read the BPS 2022 how to apply online guidance for information about how to do this.

Register on the Rural Payments service if youre setting up a single entity for common land

If you are setting up a new single entity on behalf of a group of commoners, youll need to register on the Rural Payments service to obtain a new Single Business Identifier (SBI). Read more information about setting up a single entity.

Check that you and your land are eligible

You should check that:

• youre eligible to apply for SFI
• youll have management control of the land for the 3-year duration of your SFI standards agreement

Read the information about eligibility.

Check your land details

When you apply online for SFI in the Rural Payments service, youll see:

• the land parcels currently linked to your SBI
• the available area for SFI in those land parcels, based on the land covers currently registered that are eligible for each standard

If these details are not up to date, this will affect which land parcels you can select to include in your SFI application.

Before you apply for SFI, you need to check your digital maps are up to date. To view your digital maps, sign into the Rural Payments service. From your Business overview screen select Land and View land.

Read about checking your land details and how land cover affects your SFI application.