Grant or payment · England
Protection and Infrastructure grants 2026
Grants for woodland access tracks and for protecting crops and trees from beavers.
- From
- Defra / RPA
- How much
- FY2 woodland infrastructure 60% of actual cost; BC3 crop protection fencing £6.34 per metre; BC4 tree guards £74.74 each; BC5 expert beaver dam advice up to 90% of actual cost.
- Who can apply
- Land managers in England; beaver items only in listed river catchments.
- Opens
- 5 January 2026
What you’ll need
- Rural Payments service login and SBI
- Three written quotes for FY2
How to apply
- Read the applicant's guide
- Apply online or by email/post to RPA
Guide says open all year from 5 January 2026; main page (updated 27 July 2026) has no closed notice but does not explicitly say open. Beaver items limited to listed catchments (list extended 30 March 2026).
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.
- Higher Tier Capital Grants 2026 Open all yearDefra / RPAThree-year capital grants for environmental works (including agroforestry and woodland condition assessment) without needing a full Higher Tier agreement.
- 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. Always read the official page before you apply.