Grant or payment · England
Higher Tier Capital Grants 2026
Three-year capital grants for environmental works (including agroforestry and woodland condition assessment) without needing a full Higher Tier agreement.
- From
- Defra / RPA
- How much
- 65 items: 18 paid at a share of actual cost, 47 at fixed rates. No overall cap given on the main page.
- Who can apply
- Farmers and land managers in England with management control of the land.
- Opens
- 5 January 2026
What you’ll need
- Rural Payments service login and SBI
- Annotated map
- Any consents (e.g. SSSI)
- Accountant's letter if over £50,000
How to apply
- Read the applicant's guide
- Apply online or by email/post to RPA
- Accept the offer within 30 calendar days before starting work
Applicant's guide says applications stay open until the funding is allocated. The main page (updated 30 July 2026) does not state open or closed, so check before applying.
Similar schemes
- Hot and dry weather: temporary support for farmers in 2026 OpenDefra / RPALets you cut or graze agreement land, make firebreaks and delay sowing during drought without losing SFI, CS or HLS payments.
- Capital grants plans 2026 (PA1, PA2, PA4, PA5, PA7) Open all yearDefra / RPAPays for professional plans: implementation plan (PA1), feasibility study (PA2), agroforestry plan (PA4), moorland mapping (PA5) and species management plan (PA7).
- Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) Open all yearDefra / Natural England / Forestry Commission / RPALong-term agreement for complex habitat and nature work; at the moment you can only ask to join (express an interest) for four topics.
- Protection and Infrastructure grants 2026 Open all yearDefra / RPAGrants for woodland access tracks and for protecting crops and trees from beavers.
- Sustainable Farming Incentive 2027 offer Coming soonDefra / RPAThe next SFI offer the government says it will run in 2027.
- Delinked payments (replacing Basic Payment Scheme) AutomaticDefra / RPAYearly payment, based on your old BPS, being phased out by 2027.
Checked against the official pages on 29 October 2026. Sources: 1, 2. Always read the official page before you apply.