Grant or payment · Northern Ireland
Sustainable Farming Investment Scheme (SFIS)
Capital grant for a pre-set list of equipment and technology, including low emission slurry spreading equipment (LESSE), to cut ammonia, greenhouse gases and nutrient losses. The current capital grant for farms in Northern Ireland, in place of the Farm Business Improvement Scheme.
- From
- DAERA (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)
- How much
- 40% grant rate, maximum £25,000 per farm business across the scheme. Paid against a reference price for each item, so no quotes are needed.
- Who can apply
- Primary food producers (livestock, arable and horticulture) with a DAERA Category 1 Farm Business ID. Not open for LESSE to businesses with 200 or more cattle livestock units, pig businesses producing 20,000 kg or more of manure nitrogen a year, or those already funded for LESSE under FBIS Capital.
- Closes
- 3 September 2026
What you’ll need
- DAERA Category 1 Farm Business ID
- Government Gateway or NI Direct (NIDA) login for DAERA Online Services
- Up-to-date email address on the Farm Business ID
How to apply
- Round 1 closed at 11.59pm on 3 September 2026
- Successful applicants: accept the Letter of Offer on the Scheme Portal within 28 days
- Do not buy items or pay deposits before the date of the Letter of Offer
Opening date of Round 1 not stated on the current pages. No date for a further round 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. Always read the official page before you apply.