Grant or payment · Scotland
Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2026
Yearly direct payment per hectare to active farmers and crofters who hold payment entitlements; it is the Tier 1 'Base' support under the Rural Support Plan.
- From
- Scottish Government / RPID
- How much
- 2026 BPS rates: Region 1 £147.31, Region 2 £32.40, Region 3 £9.44 (per payment region). Greening is paid on top (see the Greening entry). Advance payments due to start September 2026.
- Who can apply
- Farmers and crofters aged 16 or over who hold payment entitlements, declare at least 3 ha of eligible land and are actively farming it on 15 May.
- Opens
- 13 March 2026
- Closes
- 15 May 2026
What you’ll need
- Rural Payments and Services account and Business Reference Number (BRN)
- Payment entitlements matched to eligible hectares
- At least two Whole Farm Plan audits or plans (animal health and welfare plan, biodiversity audit, carbon audit, integrated pest management plan, soil analysis)
- Cross compliance on all declared land
How to apply
- Claim on the Single Application Form (SAF) in the annual window
- Declare your Whole Farm Plan audits or plans on the SAF and send supporting documents by 15 May
- Next window expected mid-March to 15 May 2027 (dates not yet published)
SAF 2026 opened 13 March and closed 15 May 2026 (SAF page published 19 February 2026). Rates published 25 August 2026. Whole Farm Plan: two audits or plans needed in 2026 and 2027; all relevant ones must be complete by 15 May 2028. FAS-funded carbon audits are paused, but audits done in the five years before a claim are accepted. Payments run from 1 December to 30 June, with advances from September.
Similar schemes
- Scottish Suckler Beef Support Scheme (SSBSS) 2026 OpenScottish Government / RPID · Closes 14 January 2027Payment per eligible beef calf to help keep suckler herds in Scotland, with separate mainland and island rates.
- Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme (SUSSS) 2026 OpenScottish Government / RPID · Closes 30 November 2026Flat-rate payment for each homebred ewe hogg kept on rough grazing farms that rely on Payment Region 3 land.
- Croft House Grant Open all yearScottish Government / RPIDGrants for crofters to build a new croft house, rebuild or improve one, or make it more energy efficient.
- Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme (CAGS) Open all yearScottish Government / RPIDCapital grants for crofters to build or improve agricultural buildings and other croft works, and to set up Common Grazings Committees.
- Crofting Cattle Improvement Scheme (bull hire) Open all yearScottish Government / RPIDHire of Scottish Government-owned bulls to groups of crofters who cannot practically keep their own bull or use AI.
Checked against the official pages on 29 October 2026. Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Always read the official page before you apply.