Grant or payment · Wales
Sustainable Farming Scheme (SFS) Universal Layer 2026
Annual whole-farm payment for carrying out 12 Universal Actions, such as soil testing, benchmarking, habitat and hedgerow care and animal health planning.
- From
- Welsh Government / Rural Payments Wales
- How much
- Whole Farm Payment £70/ha for the first 70 ha then £2/ha; Habitat Maintenance £69/ha; Woodland Maintenance £62/ha; Social Value Payment £107/ha. Universal Payment capped on a sliding scale (0% up to £25,000, rising to 100% above £300,000).
- Who can apply
- Farm businesses with at least 3 ha of eligible agricultural land in Wales (or over 550 standard labour hours and at least 0.1 ha), with management control of the land for at least 10 months including 15 May 2026.
- Opens
- 2 March 2026
- Closes
- 15 May 2026
What you’ll need
- Register with Rural Payments Wales (RPW) Online and get a Customer Reference Number (CRN)
- Land registered with RPW
- 2026 Single Application Form submitted by 15 May 2026
- Universal Actions completed by 31 December 2026 and confirmed on the SFS Universal Dashboard by 15 January 2027
How to apply
- Closed to new 2026 claims (SAF deadline was 15 May 2026, or 9 June 2026 with late penalties)
- 2026 claimants: complete applicable Universal Actions by 31 December 2026
- Update the SFS Universal Dashboard on RPW Online by 15 January 2027 so the balance payment can be calculated
Rules booklet published 17 December 2025, updated 3 July 2026 (addenda February and July 2026). Advance payments of 80% (raised from 70% because of the dry summer) issued from 15 October 2026, continuing to 3 November 2026; balance payments from mid-December 2026, most by end of March 2027. Each uncompleted Universal Action reduces the payment by 4%. Joining SFS ends any BPS entitlements. Payments are also subject to a linear reduction if claims exceed the annual budget. Key messages page updated 29 October 2026.
Similar schemes
- Capital Production and Efficiency grant (SFS Optional and non-SFS versions) OpenWelsh Government / Rural Payments Wales40% grant towards standard listed equipment such as handling systems, EID and weighing kit, precision spreaders, soil aerators, boreholes and water harvesting equipment.
- Infrastructure and Equipment grant - slurry, nutrient and biosecurity (SFS Optional and non-SFS versions) OpenWelsh Government / Rural Payments WalesGrant for larger farmyard investments such as slurry stores, lagoon covers, low-emission spreaders, manure stores, silage clamps and yard drainage, plus biosecurity facilities for SFS farms.
- SFS Optional: Habitat Review (route to enhanced habitat management funding) OpenWelsh Government / Rural Payments WalesRequest a free farm visit from a field support officer who draws up a five-year habitat management plan and schedule of works, which you can then apply to fund.
- Small Infrastructure grant - yard roofing (SFS Optional and non-SFS versions) OpenWelsh Government / Rural Payments WalesGrant for new roofing over livestock feeding, gathering or manure storage areas to keep clean rainwater out of dirty yards.
- Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2027 - tapered Coming soonWelsh Government / Rural Payments WalesThe legacy BPS for farms that have not joined the SFS, being cut each year until it ends after 2028.
- Integrated Natural Resources Scheme (INRS) Coming soonWelsh Government / Rural Payments WalesCompetitive funding for collaborative groups of farmers, foresters and others to develop and deliver landscape or catchment-scale nature projects; the next window will focus on water quality.
Checked against the official pages on 29 October 2026. Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Always read the official page before you apply.