ELMS

There are 3 ELM schemes and supporting capital items, per current Defra guidance: the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), which pays farmers and land managers to take up or maintain sustainable farming and land management practices that protect and benefit the environment, support food production and improve productivity (referred to as 'SFI actions'); Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT), which pays farmers and land managers to manage land in a way that protects, restores or enhances the environment and mitigates the effects of climate change; and Landscape Recovery, which pays groups of farmers and land managers to do long-term, large-scale projects together, supporting net zero carbon emissions, protected sites and wildlife-rich habitat.

As of the 2025/2026 guidance, SFI has moved to its 'SFI26' offer with staged application windows (Window 1 opened 30 June 2026 for small farms and farms without an existing ELM revenue agreement; Window 2 opens from September 2026 for all farms), while Landscape Recovery's application round has closed and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (opened September 2025) uses an expression-of-interest process for actions such as woodland improvement, agroforestry, and species-rich grassland management, with Landscape Recovery requiring land in England of at least 500 connected hectares. Scheme branding and application windows change on a rolling basis, so applicants should check the current GOV.UK 'funding for farmers' guidance rather than rely on a fixed scheme list.