Grant or payment · England
STEPS 2026 (Severn Trent Environmental Protection Scheme)
Grants for soil health, soil structure, watercourse protection, better use of inputs, livestock management and keeping soil and nutrients in the field, plus a Farmer Innovation option.
- From
- Severn Trent
- How much
- Up to £10,000 per farm per year (more only for special packages offered by Severn Trent).
- Who can apply
- Farmers in about 60 Severn Trent priority catchments across eight counties.
- Closes
- 11 December 2026
Where it’s available
Land in parts of: Birmingham, Cheshire West and Chester, Coventry, Derby, Derbyshire, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, County of, Leicester, Leicestershire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Rutland, Sheffield, Shropshire, Solihull, Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent, Telford and Wrekin, Walsall, Warwickshire, Wolverhampton, Worcestershire. The finder checks your exact land.
What you’ll need
- Farm in a priority catchment (postcode checker on the STEPS page)
- Work not already funded by another grant
- Capital items must last 10 years (20 under SSAFO)
How to apply
- Check your catchment and find your Agricultural Advisor
- Talk to the adviser first
- Apply on the STEPS portal (steps.flexigrant.com)
Closing date 11 December 2026 comes from FarmingUK (15 June 2026); the Severn Trent page itself shows no date.
Similar schemes
- Bespoke Water Quality Improvement Projects Scheme OpenThames WaterLarger contributions for farm projects that bring big, long-term water quality improvements.
- Catchment Fund OpenThames Water · Closes 30 November 2026Part-funding for farm work that cuts nitrate and herbicide pollution of drinking water sources in priority catchments.
- River Health and Community Fund OpenThames WaterGrants for community projects that engage people with rivers or improve them.
- River Stour Phosphorus Reduction Scheme OpenWessex WaterAnnual payments and one-off funding for farm changes that cut phosphorus run-off, such as arable reversion to grass, herbal leys, buffer strips, beetle banks, hedges, trees and wetlands.
- Tone, Parrett and Yeo Phosphorus Reduction Scheme OpenWessex WaterAnnual payments for farm changes that cut phosphorus run-off in the Somerset Tone, Parrett and Yeo sub-catchments.
- Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) Open all yearNatural England with Defra and Environment AgencyConfidential one-to-one advice on soil, nutrients, manure, ammonia, pesticides and water, and help with capital grant applications.
Checked against the official pages on 29 October 2026. Sources: 1, 2, 3. Always read the official page before you apply.