The Sustainable Farming Investment Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026

Explanatory note

Reproduced verbatim from the instrument as published on legislation.gov.uk (Crown Copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0). The note is prepared by the responsible government department and is not part of the instrument itself.

These Regulations establish the Sustainable Farming Investment Scheme. The scheme provides for payments to be made by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs to eligible farm businesses to invest in equipment and technology which will improve environmental performance and efficiency on farms.

provide that the Department may make payments in respect of eligible expenditure incurred or to be incurred by a beneficiary (regulation 3);

provide that the Department may set the form that such payments may take (regulation 4);

provide that the Department may set the form that applications must take (regulation 5);

provide that the Department may approve or reject any application made under the scheme; may attach conditions to any approval, and may vary any approval previously granted (regulation 6);

provide that the Department may set the form that claims for payment must take (regulation 7);

provide that the Department may request any such information it requires in relation to an approved operation and that a beneficiary must supply same within set timeframes (regulation 8);

specify the powers of authorised persons and those accompanying them to enter any land or premises connected with the scheme, except dwelling-houses (regulation 9);

specify the powers of authorised persons to conduct checks and inspections (regulation 10);

specify that beneficiaries must retain any records pertaining to, and any items purchased under, the scheme for a minimum period of five years (regulations 11 & 12);

provide that the Department may determine that an applicant or beneficiary is in breach of the terms and conditions of the scheme (regulation 13);

provide that where such a determination is made, that the Department may seek to recover any payments previously made as a civil debt, and/or withhold future payments, and/or may prohibit future applications under the scheme from the applicant for two years (regulations 14 & 15). They may also seek interest on these payments (regulation 16) or seek to set-off the amounts owed by the beneficiary under this scheme from other sums payable by the Department to the beneficiary (regulation 17);

provide for the review of a decision to reject an application (regulation 18); and

detail the aim and design of the scheme (Schedule).