SFI26 Actions and Payment Rates for Livestock Farms

SFI26 is closed for applications, but its actions and rates still matter if you hold an agreement or are waiting for the 2027 offer. This is where to find the full list and the rules, and the grassland and livestock actions with their published rates.

Guide Updated 9 November 2026 6 min read

Quick answer

SFI26 is closed for applications, according to GOV.UK. The full actions list is in GOV.UK's Find funding for land or farms tool and the SFI26 actions print version (version 2.0, June 2026). The rules are in SFI26: scheme rules and guidance (version 4.0, August 2026), the nearest thing to a handbook. For livestock farms, GOV.UK's published rates are £151 per hectare a year for managing grassland with very low nutrient inputs (CLIG3), £224 for herbal leys (CSAM3), £157 for the haymaking supplement (GRH7), £28 for the lenient grazing supplement (GRH10) and £13 per 100 metres of hedgerow (CHRW2). Check the action page before you rely on a figure.

Is SFI26 open, and what is in the scheme pack?

No. GOV.UK's SFI26 scheme information page says SFI26 is closed for applications. Window 2 opened on 22 September 2026 and closed the same day, as our SFI26 window 2 report sets out. The pack still matters if you hold an agreement, are in the exception group, or want to read the rules before the next offer.

GOV.UK splits the scheme pack into these parts, with the versions shown on 9 November 2026:

Agreement terms and conditions. The mandatory requirements that apply to every SFI26 agreement. Read the terms.
Scheme rules and guidance, version 4.0, August 2026. It explains those requirements and how to apply for and manage an agreement. GOV.UK does not call it a handbook, but it is the nearest equivalent. Read the rules and guidance.
SFI26 actions, version 2.0, June 2026. The mandatory requirements for every action in one long print version. Read the actions.
Limited area actions calculator. A PDF calculator that GOV.UK provides for the limited area actions.
Find funding for land or farms. GOV.UK's search tool for actions and their supplements, with a separate Capital grant finder for capital items.

Where is the SFI26 actions list?

Search the Find funding tool by action name or code, or open the actions print version. Each action also has its own GOV.UK page showing how long it runs, what you will be paid, what it is aiming for and what you must do. The rates in the table below come from those pages, which GOV.UK last updated for SFI26 on 17 June 2026.

Which SFI26 actions and rates suit grassland and livestock farms?

These are the grassland, hedgerow and native breed actions that most often matter to a livestock farm. It is not the whole list. Each runs for 3 years on its GOV.UK page.

Action	Code	Type	Published rate
Manage grassland with very low nutrient inputs	CLIG3	Action	£151 per hectare a year
Herbal leys	CSAM3	Action	£224 per hectare a year
Take grassland field corners or blocks out of management	CIGL1	Action	£333 per hectare a year
Manage hedgerows	CHRW2	Action	£13 per 100 metres of one side of an eligible hedgerow a year
Haymaking supplement	GRH7	Supplement	£157 per hectare a year
Lenient grazing supplement	GRH10	Supplement	£28 per hectare a year
Keep native breeds on grazed habitats supplement (more than 80%)	SPM3	Supplement	£146 per hectare a year
Keep native breeds on extensively managed habitats supplement (more than 80%)	SPM5	Supplement	£11 per hectare a year

A supplement is an add-on to another action, so check each action page for what it has to be combined with. Rates and rules change when GOV.UK updates a page, so check the action page before you plan around a figure, and read the actions print version for the exact requirements.

How do SFI payments go in the books?

Give each scheme its own line in your books and keep the agreement papers. Our guide to scheme payments, accounting and tax covers the tax side, and the farm bookkeeping guide covers the records around it.

What happens next for SFI?

Defra says it plans to offer an SFI scheme in 2027 and to open it as early as possible. It also says it is exploring alternatives to a first come, first served application process. No date has been given. Our SFI26 window 2 report sets out what is known and what farmers who missed out can do.

What do farmers actually ask?

Is there an SFI26 handbook?

GOV.UK does not use the word handbook. The nearest document is SFI26: scheme rules and guidance, version 4.0, August 2026, which explains the requirements and how to apply for and manage an agreement. Read it with the agreement terms and conditions and the SFI26 actions, version 2.0, June 2026.

Where can I find the SFI26 payment rates?

On each action's GOV.UK page, under how much you will be paid. Search GOV.UK's Find funding for land or farms tool by action name or code. The action pages were last updated for SFI26 on 17 June 2026.

Is SFI26 still open?

No. GOV.UK says SFI26 is closed for applications. Window 2 opened on 22 September 2026 and closed the same day. Defra says it plans to offer an SFI scheme in 2027 but has not given a date.

What is the SFI26 payment rate for herbal leys?

GOV.UK's page for CSAM3, herbal leys, says £224 per hectare a year for a 3 year agreement. Check the action page before you rely on it, as GOV.UK can update rates.

What is the SFI26 payment rate for hedgerows?

GOV.UK's page for CHRW2, manage hedgerows, says £13 per 100 metres of one side of an eligible hedgerow a year, over 3 years.

Which SFI26 actions are for grassland?

Examples on GOV.UK include CLIG3 (very low nutrient inputs, £151 per hectare a year), CSAM3 (herbal leys, £224), CIGL1 (grassland field corners or blocks out of management, £333) and the GRH7 haymaking and GRH10 lenient grazing supplements. The full list is in the Find funding tool and the actions print version.