Grant or payment · Northern Ireland
Farming with Nature Transition Scheme (Year 2)
Payments for environmental actions such as new hedges, riparian buffer strips, winter stubble, cover crops, farmland trees, arable margins and herbal leys. Replaces the Environmental Farming Scheme.
- From
- DAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)
- How much
- Examples (Year 2): new hedgerow £6.49/m; 2 m riparian buffer £1.41/m plus fencing £6.52/m; 7 m riparian buffer £4.93/m plus fencing; winter stubble £99/ha; multi-species winter cover crop £226/ha; farmland tree planting £6,756/ha; flower-rich grass margin £1,422/ha; herbal ley £467/ha (enhanced £521/ha); gate and 2 posts £310.29; drinker and base £169.70; pasture pump £239.06.
- Who can apply
- Farm businesses with a DAERA Category 1 or 2 Farm Business ID and management control of the fields. Actions cannot be on designated sites or other priority habitats.
- Opens
- 30 June 2026
- Closes
- 31 July 2026
What you’ll need
- DAERA Category 1 or 2 Farm Business ID
- Government Gateway or NI Direct (NIDA) login for DAERA Online Services
- Management control of the fields for the action and retention period
How to apply
- Closed: the 2026 window ran 30 June to 31 July 2026 and decisions have issued
- Approved applicants: complete actions by 28 February 2027 (stubble and cover crops kept to 15 February)
- Year 2 payments issue in summer 2027
- Queries: [email protected] or 0300 200 7848 (option 2, then 2)
DAERA says further information on future tranches will be provided in due course; no 2027 window published as of 30 October 2026.
Similar schemes
- Farming with Nature Higher Scheme 2027 OpenDAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) · Closes 30 October 2026Interim invite-only scheme to keep favourable management of high-value farmland in designated sites and priority habitats between agri-environment schemes.
- Suckler Cow Scheme OpenDAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) · Closes 31 March 2027Payment for suckler calvings that meet targets for age at first calving and calving interval. Part of the Beef Sustainability Package.
- Beef Carbon Reduction (BCR) Scheme Open all yearDAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)Annual payment for clean beef cattle, born and bred in Northern Ireland and registered on NIFAIS, slaughtered at or below a falling maximum age. Part of the Beef Sustainability Package.
- CAFRE Themed Groups (B.E.E.F. finishing and suckler cow fertility) Open all yearCAFRE (College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise), part of DAERAShort-term CAFRE groups with mentoring, peer learning and KPIs, linked to the Beef Carbon Reduction and Suckler Cow schemes.
- Farm Sustainability Payment (FSP) 2027 Coming soonDAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) · Closes 15 May 2027The second year of the Farm Sustainability Payment, claimed on the 2027 Single Application.
- Farming with Nature Landscape Projects Scheme Coming soonDAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) · Closes 4 December 2026Funding for groups of farmers and partners to deliver landscape-scale habitat and biodiversity projects that cannot be done on a single farm.
Checked against the official pages on 29 October 2026. Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4. Always read the official page before you apply.