SFI and Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier: which is which, and can you have both?

What is the difference between SFI and Countryside Stewardship?

Both are Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes in England. The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) runs both (register rural land (opens in a new tab)). The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) pays for set actions on ordinary farmland. You choose them yourself. Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) pays to "protect, restore or enhance the environment". It also pays to fight climate change on harder sites. Examples are SSSIs (Sites of Special Scientific Interest), commons, woodlands and scheduled monuments (CSHT applicant's guide (opens in a new tab)).

Sources: SFI26 scheme rules, sections 1, 1.2 and 4 (opens in a new tab); CSHT applicant's guide, sections 1, 3 and 4 (opens in a new tab).

Who is SFI for?

SFI26 was open to farmers and land managers who met these rules (scheme rules, sections 3 and 5 (opens in a new tab)). They had at least 3 hectares of farmland and were registered with the RPA. They controlled the land for the length of the actions. The land was entirely in England and was not common land. SFI26 is now closed for applications. Defra (the government's farming department) plans an SFI offer in 2027. See what is SFI26? and SFI 2027: what we know.

How do I apply for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier?

It depends on what you want to do. This is what it says in the CSHT applicant's guide (opens in a new tab) and the expression of interest page (opens in a new tab):

• Expression of interest (EOI): for agroforestry, woodland improvement, and single-focus agreements for species-rich grassland or scheduled monument management. You no longer need an invitation for these 4 topics. An approved EOI doesn't promise an agreement. You still go through the application process.
• Invitation only: for agri-environment agreements with several actions. Natural England invites two groups. One is farmers whose agreements are ending and who want to carry on high-value work. The other is farmers who have done early planning work, such as a feasibility study or implementation plan.
• Priority for ending agreements: Natural England puts some farmers first. They hold a CSHT agreement ending on 31 December 2026, or a Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreement ending before 31 March 2027. And they want to keep managing important habitats. Natural England will contact them.

In July 2026 Defra said at least £50 million would be available for new CSHT agreements that year. It said there would be up to 1,200 single-focus agreements at first (Defra Farming blog, 2 July 2026 (opens in a new tab)).

Can I have SFI and Countryside Stewardship on the same farm?

Yes, if the rules allow it. Some land is already in a CSHT, CS Mid Tier or older CS Higher Tier agreement. The SFI26 scheme rules say it can go into SFI26 actions only if all 3 of these are true (section 5.6 (opens in a new tab)):

1. 1You and your land are eligible for both.
2. 2The activities you're paid for under each scheme are compatible.
3. 3You won't be paid twice for the same, or a similar, activity on the same area at the same time ("double funding").

Each SFI26 action lists which CSHT actions and CS options can go on the same area ("stacking"). If they can't, you may be able to put them on different parts of the same field ("co-locating") (sections 5.6.1 and 5.6.2 (opens in a new tab)). GOV.UK added the compatible SFI26 actions to each CSHT action's page in October 2026 (CSHT publication (opens in a new tab)).

What about Mid Tier and Capital Grants?

Some farms still have Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier agreements. The SFI26 rules cover how they fit alongside SFI26 (section 5.6 (opens in a new tab)). Capital Grants are separate. Land in a capital grants agreement can also go into an SFI26 agreement, because they pay for different things (section 5.6 (opens in a new tab)). Check the Find funding for land or farms (opens in a new tab) tool for what is open now.