How an SFI standards agreement interacts with other funding schemes
Find out when land can be included in an SFI standards agreement and other agri-environment schemes and funding sources at the same time.
Applies to England
This information explains the interaction between land entered into a Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) standards agreement and other schemes, as well as other funding sources.
Existing schemes will continue to run alongside SFI, such as:
- Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), until it is delinked in 2024
- Countryside Stewardship (CS)
- Environmental Stewardship
By the end of 2024, new schemes will also be launched, including:
- Local Nature Recovery
- Landscape Recovery
Including land in an SFI standards agreement and other schemes at the same time
It’s possible to include the same land in an SFI standards agreement and another scheme if:
- you and your land are eligible for each scheme
- the activities or outcomes you’re being paid for under each scheme are compatible
- you are not being paid for a similar activity or outcome on the same area of land at the same time (known as double funding)
Basic Payment Scheme
You can include the same land parcel in a BPS application and your SFI standards agreement, as long as it’s eligible for each scheme.
If you apply for the Lump Sum Exit Scheme in 2022, you should not apply for SFI.an SFI standards agreement. If you decide to withdraw your Lump Sum Exit Scheme application, you can then apply for SFI.an SFI standards agreement.
Countryside Stewardship
The interaction between an SFI standards agreement and CS is different depending on whether there’s a revenue option or capital items funding.
CS revenue options
If land used for a CS revenue option has an eligible land cover and is an eligible land type for the standard you choose, you can enter it into an SFI standards agreement if:
- the CS actions, including their timing, are compatible with the actions in the standard you choose
- you won’t be paid twice for a similar activity or outcome on the same area of land at the same time (known as double funding)
If this is not the case, the ineligible CS revenue option land, including any land currently used for an ineligible rotational CS revenue option, cannot:
- be entered into an SFI standards agreement
- be used to complete any of the actions in the SFI standards
For example, you cannot enter:
- an area of land used to establish a cover crop under CS into the arable and horticultural soils standard, or use it to meet the actions in that standard
- an area of land used for a CS grass buffer strip on an improved grassland parcel into the improved grassland soils standard, or use it to meet the actions in that standard
The standard you choose affects which CS revenue options are compatible and do not lead to double funding.
CS revenue options and the moorland standard
Land used for all CS revenue options can be entered into the introductory level of the moorland standard, if it has an eligible land cover and is an eligible land type.
This is because the introductory level of the moorland standard does not involve physical land management actions, so there is no incompatibility or double funding.
CS revenue options and the soils standards
You can enter land used for certain CS revenue options into the introductory and intermediate levels in the arable and horticultural soils standard or the improved grassland soils standard in 2022.
These eligible CS revenue options are set out in tables 1 and 2.
Table 1. Eligible CS revenue options for the arable and horticultural soils standard
| CS revenue option |
|---|
| ED1: Educational access |
| BE3: Management of hedgerows |
| SP10: Administration of group managed agreements supplement |
| AB5: Nesting plots for lapwing |
| AB11: Cultivated areas for arable plants |
| AB14: Harvested low input cereal |
| AB12: Supplementary winter feeding for farmland birds |
| SP9: Threatened species supplement |
| OP3: Supplementary feeding for farmland birds |
| OT4: Organic land management – horticulture |
| OR3: Organic conversion - rotational land |
| OR4: Organic conversion – horticulture |
| HS3: Reduced-depth, non-inversion cultivation on historic and archaeological features |
| HS9: Restricted depth crop establishment to protect archaeology under an arable rotation |
Table 2. Eligible CS revenue options for the improved grassland soils standard
| CS revenue option |
|---|
| SW10: Seasonal livestock removal on intensive grassland in SDAs next to streams, rivers and lakes |
| BE3: Management of hedgerows |
| BE6: Veteran tree surgery |
| BE7: Supplement for restorative pruning of fruit trees |
| ED1: Educational access |
| OT1: Organic land management - improved permanent grassland |
| SP10: Administration of group managed agreements supplement |
| OR1: Organic conversion - improved permanent grassland |
| SW9: Seasonal livestock removal on intensive grassland |
| SP7: Introduction of cattle grazing on Isles of Scilly |
If you use an area of a land parcel for a CS revenue option not listed in tables 1 and 2 above, that area cannot be entered into the soils standards.
However, you can enter the rest of the land parcel not covered by an ineligible CS revenue option into either of the soils standards (if it’s eligible land for the chosen standard).
For example, if part of a land parcel is used for a CS grass buffer strip, you can enter the rest of the area into either of the soils standards.
Rotational CS revenue options
A rotational CS revenue option is a multi-annual land management option that can be moved around identified land parcels in your CS agreement.
Each year of your CS agreement, you declare the area currently used for a rotational CS option. You do this either:
- on the CS annual revenue claim, usually submitted by 15 May each year
- by 1 September in the relevant year if you cannot declare its location on the CS annual revenue claim
Any area within a land parcel that’s currently used for an ineligible rotational CS revenue option listed in table 3 cannot be entered into the soils standards.
Table
You 3.can Ineligibleenter the rest of the land parcel not covered by an ineligible rotational CS revenue optionsoption forinto either of the soils standards (if it’s eligible land for the chosen standard).
The area currently used for an ineligible rotational CS revenue option |
|---|
Once |
Youarea canfrom enteryour theSFI restapplication. ofHowever, thethis landis parcelonly notpossible coveredif bythe anarea of the ineligible rotational CS revenue option intodoes eithernot ofexceed the soilsarea standardsautomatically (ifremoved it’sfrom eligiblethe land‘available forarea’ thein chosenyour standard).SFI application.
For example, a land parcel currently includes 2 hectares (ha) of SW6. That area is automatically removed from that land parcel in your SFI application. Once your SFI standards agreement has started, theyou rotationalcan CSmove revenuethat options2ha listedof inSW6 tablearound 3the aboveland canparcels bein locatedyour onagreement. landHowever, parcelsif inthe yourarea SFIof standardsSW6 agreement.increases Thisto is2.5ha becausein either the areasecond or third year of rotationalyour CSSFI revenuestandards optionsagreement, hasyou’ll alreadyneed beento removedadd fromland to your ‘availableSFI area’,standards soagreement there’sat nothe riskannual ofupgrade doublepoint funding.to accommodate the additional 0.5ha.
Applying for an SFI standards agreement if you have an existing CS agreement
If you have an existing CS agreement, thewe followingwill areas are automatically removedremove from the affected land parcels in your SFI application:
the(thosefromnotthelistedaffected land parcels intablesyour1SFIandapplication.2Thisabove)theincludes any area currently used for ineligible rotational CS revenueoptions(whicharelistedintable3above)
This means the area is not included in the affected land parcel’s ‘available area’ for you to select in your SFI application. For example, if there is a 1010ha hectare (ha) land parcel which has 2 ha of AB2 (Basic overwinter stubble), the ‘available area’ in your SFI application will be 8 ha.
Applying for an SFI standards agreement and CS in 2022
You may be applying for a CS Higher Tier or Mid Tier (including the Wildlife Offers) agreement starting from 1 January 2023. This may affect your SFI application if you include the same area of land in both CS and SFI.
If you submit your CS application and receive your CS agreement offer before you apply for SFI, any area of ineligible CS revenue options can be confirmed before you apply for SFI.
In this case, thewe followingwill areas are automatically removedremove from the affected land parcels in your SFI application:
the(thosefromnotthelistedaffected land parcels intablesyour1SFIandapplication.2Thisabove)theincludes any area currently used for ineligible rotational CS revenueoptions(whicharelistedintable3above)
This means the area isn’t included in the affected land parcel’s ‘available area’ for you to select in your SFI application.
However, if the area of ineligible CS revenue options cannot be confirmed, it won’t be possible to automatically remove it from your SFI application. This will be the case if you apply for SFI before you submit your CS application.
This means the area of ineligible CS revenue options is included in the affected land parcel’s ‘available area’ in your SFI application. You can only enter the total ‘available area’ into the standard you choose. It cannot be reduced in your SFI application to remove the area of ineligible CS revenue options.
If you enter the same area of land into both an SFI soils standard and an ineligible CS revenue option in a CS agreement that starts from 1 January 2023, your SFI payment will be automatically adjusted.
For example, you enter a 10 ha land parcel into one of the soils standards and include that same land parcel in your CS application. You have only included 1 ha of this land parcel in your CS application, but it’s in an ineligible CS revenue option for the SFI soils standard you have chosen. If your CS agreement starts after your SFI standards agreement, you will only be eligible for an SFI payment on 9 ha of that land parcel.
CS capital items funding
If you apply for a CS Capital Grants agreement, the same land parcel can be entered into an SFI standards agreement.
Environmental Stewardship
LandIf land used for an Environmental Stewardship (ES) revenue option has an eligible land cover and is an eligible land type for the standard you choose, you can enter it into an SFI standards agreement if:
- the ES actions, including their timing, are compatible with the actions in the standard you choose
- you won’t be paid twice for a similar activity or outcome on the same area of land at the same time (known as double funding)
If this is not the case, the ineligible ES revenue option land, including any land currently used for an existingineligible Higherrotational LevelES Stewardshiprevenue (HLS)option, cannot be:
- entered into an SFI standards agreement
- used to complete any of the actions in the SFI standards
For example, you cannot enter an area of land:
- used to establish a cover crop under ES into the arable and horticultural soils standard, or use it to meet the actions in that standard
- used for an ES grass buffer strip on an improved grassland parcel into the improved grassland soils standard, or use it to meet the actions in that standard
The standard you choose affects which ES revenue options are compatible and do not lead to double funding.
ES revenue options and the moorland standard
Land used for ES revenue options can be entered into the introductory level of the moorland standard.standard if it has an eligible land cover and is an eligible land type.
This is because the introductory level paysof youthe moorland standard does not involve physical land management actions, so there is no incompatibility or double funding.
ES revenue options and the soils standards
You can enter land used for certain ES revenue options into the introductory and intermediate levels in the arable and horticultural soils standard or the improved grassland soils standard in 2022.
These eligible ES revenue options are set out in tables 3 and 4.
Table 3. Eligible ES revenue options for the arable and horticultural soils standard
| ES revenue option |
|---|
| HD6: Crop establishment by direct drilling (non-rotational) |
| HF20: Cultivated fallow plots or margins for arable plants |
| HG7: Low input spring cereal to |
| HJ11: Maintenance of watercourse fencing |
| HB11: Maintenance of hedges of very high environmental value (2 sides) |
| HB12: Maintenance of hedges of very high environmental value (1 side) |
| OU1: Organic Management |
| HF15: Reduced herbicide cereal crops followed by overwintered stubble |
| HD3: Low depth, non-inversion cultivation on archaeological features |
| OHD3: Low depth, non-inversion cultivation on archaeological features |
| ED3: Low depth, non-inversion cultivation on archaeological features |
| OD3: Low depth, non-inversion cultivation on archaeological features |
| HR6: Supplement for small fields |
| EF11: Uncropped, cultivated margins for rare plants on arable land |
| HF13: Uncropped cultivated areas for ground-nesting birds - arable |
| UOX2: Grassland and arable |
| UX2: Grassland and arable |
| EB1: Hedgerow management for landscape (on both sides of a hedge) |
| EB10: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating EB3) |
| EB11: Stone wall protection and maintenance |
| EB12: Earth bank management (on both sides) |
| EB13: Earth bank management (on one side) |
| EB14: Hedgerow restoration |
| EB2: Hedgerow management for landscape (on one side of a hedge) |
| EB3: Hedgerow management for landscape and wildlife |
| EB4: Stone faced hedge bank management on both sides |
| EB5: Stone faced hedge bank management on one side |
| EB6: Ditch management |
| EB7: Half ditch management |
| EB8: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating EB1) |
| EB9: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating EB2) |
| EC23: Establishment of hedgerow trees by tagging |
| EC3: Maintenance of woodland fences |
| EF13: Uncropped cultivated areas for ground-nesting birds - arable |
| EF23: Supplementary feeding in winter for farmland birds |
| EG1: Under sown spring cereals |
| EJ10: Enhanced management of maize crops to reduce erosion and run-off |
| EJ11: Maintenance of watercourse fencing |
| HF13NR: Uncropped cultivated areas for ground-nesting birds - arable |
| HF20NR: Cultivated fallow plots or margins for arable plants |
| HF24: Supplementary feeding in winter for farmland birds |
| HG1: Undersown spring cereals |
| HG7NR: Low input spring cereal to retain or re-create an arable mosaic |
| HJ10: Enhanced management of maize crops to reduce erosion and run-off |
| HN8: Educational access - base payment |
| HN8CW: Educational access - base payment |
| HN9: Educational access - payment per visit |
| HN9CW: Educational access - payment per visit |
| ILC: Improved land conversion payment |
| OB1: Hedgerow management for landscape (on both sides of a hedge) |
| OB10: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating OB3) |
| OB11: Stonewall protection and maintenance |
| OB12: Earth bank management (on both sides) |
| OB13: Earth bank management (on one side) |
| OB14: Hedgerow restoration |
| OB2: Hedgerow management for landscape (on one side of a hedge) |
| OB3: Hedgerow management for landscape and wildlife |
| OB4: Stone faced Hedge bank management on both sides |
| OB5: Stone faced Hedge bank management on one side |
| OB6: Ditch management |
| OB7: Half ditch management |
| OB8: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating OB1) |
| OB9: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating OB2) |
| OC3: Maintenance of woodland fences |
| OF23: Supplementary feeding in winter for farmland birds |
| OG1: Under sown spring cereals |
| OHG1: Undersown spring cereals |
| OHJ11: Maintenance of watercourse fencing |
| OJ11: Maintenance of watercourse fencing |
| UB11: Stone wall protection and maintenance on/above the moorland line |
| UB12: Earth bank management (both sides) on/above the moorland line |
| UB13: Earth bank management (one side) on/above the moorland line |
| UB14: Hedgerow restoration |
| UB17: Stone wall restoration |
| UB4: Stone-faced hedgebank management (both sides) on or above ML |
| UB5: Stone-faced hedgebank management (one side) on or above ML |
| UC5: Sheep fencing around small woodlands |
| UJ3: Post and |
| UOB11: Stone wall protection and |
| UOB14: |
| UOB17: Stone wall restoration |
| UOB4: Stone-faced hedgebank management (both sides) on/above ML |
| UOC5: Sheep fencing around small woodlands |
| UOJ3: Post and wire fencing along watercourses |
Table 4. Eligible ES revenue options for the improved grassland soils standard
| ES revenue option |
|---|
| HQ13: Inundation grassland supplement |
| HIOS1: Landscape management |
| HIOS2: Management of rare arable bulb/flora |
| UD13: Maintaining visibility of archaeological features on moorland |
| UHD13: Maintaining visibility of archaeological features on moorland |
| UOD13: Maintaining visibility of archaeological features on moorland |
| HJ11: Maintenance of watercourse fencing |
| HB11: Maintenance of hedges of very high environmental value (2 sides) |
| HB12: Maintenance of hedges of very high environmental value (1 side) |
| EK5: Mixed stocking |
| HK5: Mixed stocking |
| OHK5: Mixed stocking |
| OK5: Mixed stocking |
| UX1: Commons and shared grazing |
| HJ8: Nil fertiliser supplement |
| OU1: Organic Management |
| HL15: Seasonal livestock exclusion supplement |
| HJ7: Seasonal livestock removal from intensively managed grassland |
| HL16: Shepherding supplement |
| HR7: Supplement for difficult sites |
| UOX2: Grassland and arable |
| UX2: Grassland and arable |
| UHJ12: Winter livestock removal next to streams, rivers and lakes |
| UJ12: Winter livestock removal next to streams, rivers and lakes |
| UOJ12: Winter livestock removal next to streams, rivers and lakes |
| EB1: Hedgerow management for landscape (on both sides of a hedge) |
| EB10: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating EB3) |
| EB11: Stone wall protection and maintenance |
| EB12: Earth bank management (on both sides) |
| EB13: Earth bank management (on one side) |
| EB14: Hedgerow restoration |
| EB2: Hedgerow management for landscape (on one side of a hedge) |
| EB3: Hedgerow management for landscape and wildlife |
| EB4: Stone faced hedge bank management on both sides |
| EB5: Stone faced hedge bank management on one side |
| EB6: Ditch management |
| EB7: Half ditch management |
| EB8: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating EB1) |
| EB9: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating EB2) |
| EC23: Establishment of hedgerow trees by tagging |
| EC3: Maintenance of woodland fences |
| EF23: Supplementary feeding in winter for farmland birds |
| EJ10: Enhanced management of maize crops to reduce erosion and run-off |
| I EJ11: Maintenance of watercourse fencing |
| HF24: Supplementary feeding in winter for farmland birds |
| HJ10: Enhanced management of maize crops to reduce erosion and run-off |
| HN8: Educational access - base payment |
| HN8CW: Educational access - base payment |
| HN9: Educational access - payment per visit |
| HN9CW: Educational access - payment per visit |
| ILC: Improved land conversion payment |
| OB1: Hedgerow management for landscape (on both sides of a hedge) |
| OB10: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating OB3) |
| OB11: Stonewall protection and maintenance |
| OB12: Earth bank management (on both sides) |
| OB13: Earth bank management (on one side) |
| OB14: Hedgerow restoration |
| OB2: Hedgerow management for landscape (on one side of a hedge) |
| OB3: Hedgerow management for landscape and wildlife |
| OB4: Stone faced Hedge bank management on both sides |
| OB5: Stone faced Hedge bank management on one side |
| OB6: Ditch management |
| OB7: Half ditch management |
| OB8: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating OB1) |
| OB9: Combined hedge and ditch management (incorporating OB2) |
| OC3: Maintenance of woodland fences |
| OF23: Supplementary feeding in winter for farmland birds |
| OHJ11: Maintenance of watercourse fencing |
| OJ11: Maintenance of watercourse fencing |
| UB11: Stone wall protection and maintenance on/above the moorland line |
| UB12: Earth bank management (both sides) on/above the moorland line |
| UB13: Earth bank management (one side) on/above the moorland line |
| UB14: Hedgerow restoration |
| UB17: Stone wall restoration |
| UB4: Stone-faced hedgebank management (both sides) on/above ML |
| UB5: Stone-faced hedgebank management (one side) on/above ML |
| UC5: Sheep fencing around small woodlands |
| UJ3: Post and wire fencing along watercourses |
| UOB11: Stone wall protection and maintenance on/above the moorland line |
| UOB14: Hedgerow restoration |
| UOB17: Stone wall restoration |
| UOB4: Stone-faced hedgebank management (both sides) on/above ML |
| UOC5: Sheep fencing around small woodlands |
| UOJ3: Post and wire fencing along watercourses |
Rotational ES revenue options
A rotational ES revenue option is a multi-annual land management option that can be moved around identified land parcels in your ES agreement.
Each year of your ES agreement, you aren’tdeclare beingthe paidarea twicecurrently used for a similarrotational activityES oroption. outcomeYou do this either:
- on the
sameES annual revenue claim, usually submitted by 15 May each year - by 1 September in the relevant year if you cannot declare its location on the ES annual revenue claim
Any area ofwithin a land atparcel that’s currently used for an ineligible rotational ES revenue option cannot be entered into the samesoils timestandards.
The (knownarea ascurrently doubleused funding).for an ineligible rotational ES revenue option will be automatically removed from the ‘available area’ in your SFI application. This means the total area entered into your SFI standards agreement does not include the area currently used for an ineligible rotational ES revenue option.
BeforeOnce your SFI applicationsstandards open,agreement we’llhas publishstarted, morethe informationineligible onrotational GOV.UKES aboutrevenue option area can be moved around the eligibilityland parcels in your agreement. This is because we’ve already removed that area from your SFI application. However, this is only possible if the area of landthe ineligible rotational ES revenue option does not exceed the area automatically removed from the ‘available area’ in HLSyour agreementsSFI application.
Applying for bothan SFI standards agreement if you have an existing ES agreement
If you have an existing ES agreement, we will automatically remove the area of ineligible ES revenue options from the soilsaffected standards.land parcels in your SFI application. This includes any area currently used for ineligible rotational ES revenue options.
This means the area is not included in the affected land parcel’s ‘available area’ for you to select in your SFI application.
Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot
Land parcels already in a Sustainable Farming Incentive pilot standards agreement cannot be entered into your SFI standards agreement.
Local Nature Recovery
Local Nature Recovery (LNR) is expected to launch by the end of 2024. You’ll be able to apply for LNR options on land entered into an SFI standards agreement, as long as the eligibility and compatibility requirements are met and there’s no double funding.
The LNR options will initially cover the following themes:
- managing feeding, shelter and breeding areas for wildlife on arable farms
- managing, restoring and creating grassland habitats such as species-rich grassland on farms and in the wider countryside
- managing, restoring and creating wetland habitats such as ponds, lakes, reedbeds and fens
- managing, restoring and creating lowland heathland
- managing, restoring and creating coastal habitats such as sand dunes, salt marsh and shingle
- managing and restoring areas of upland and lowland peat and moorland on farms and in the wider countryside
- targeted measures to support the recovery and reintroduction of particular wildlife species, such as creating and managing nesting and feeding habitat, and to tackle non-native invasive species
- managing and creating trees and woodlands, including agroforestry, traditional orchards and tree planting on areas of farms (the England Woodland Creation Offer will be the main scheme for creating woodland until 2025)
- nature-based solutions for water, such as creating and managing in-field vegetation, buffer strips and swales to reduce and filter runoff and contribute to natural flood management
- restoring rivers, flood plains, streams and riparian habitats
More LNR guidance will be published on GOV.UK over the next year.
Landscape Recovery
You can apply for Landscape Recovery on land entered into an SFI standards agreement, as long as the eligibility and compatibility requirements are met and there’s no double funding.
Farming in Protected Landscapes
If you have land in a National Park Authority or Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) you can apply for Farming in Protected Landscapes funding and enter that same land into an SFI standards agreement.
Thisagreement, isas becauselong as the fundingeligibility availableand undercompatibility Farmingrequirements inare Protectedmet Landscapesand doesthere’s notno paydouble for the same land management actions as SFI.funding.
Private sector schemes
In 2022, you can enter the same area of land into an SFI standards agreement and a private sector scheme arrangement, such as carbon trading or payments for natural flood management.
The approach to private sector schemes will be reviewed by Defra annually.
Last updated
-
Updated to include details of environmental stewardship revenue options.
-
Removed 2 paragraphs under private sector schemes and the whole section "other funding sources".
-
First published.