From application to agreement: making the process to join SFI simple

If you apply for the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI), we wish your expertise to be easy and we wish to give you as a lot flexibility as doable.  

On this put up, we’ll set out what you are able to do and what we’re doing to make the method of making use of as easy as it may be, so you’ll be able to be part of the 14,000 different farmers, growers and land managers who’ve already utilized.

Preparation  

Our new on-line SFI actions checker software will aid you filter the actions you may get paid to do in your land. It enhances the scheme steering which you will discover on GOV.UK and within the SFI Handbook.  

The method to start your utility begins on the Rural Funds service.  

Begin by checking that you might be eligible and your land is eligible. You must also examine the registered particulars in your digital maps are updated.  

If you happen to request updates earlier than you apply, it will pace issues up. It takes time to make adjustments so it’s finest to request them as early as you’ll be able to.  

Do be certain your contact particulars are updated and your permissions are appropriately set for SFI within the Rural Funds service. 

It is advisable to get your land use and land cowl proper for the system to indicate the related actions for you. This permits us to automate the query ‘is that this land eligible or not?’ This automation has helped us to scale back the processing time to per week or two.  

We’ve made it simpler so that you can make adjustments to land use and land cowl. Land eligibility is an important a part of your utility. We’re assessing methods to streamline this.

When you’ve performed your preparation, making use of for SFI needs to be easy. If you happen to occur to run into any difficulties, for instance if a parcel is just not exhibiting for you, get in contact with the RPA and so they’ll assist to resolve it. Bear in mind to incorporate your Single Enterprise Identifier (SBI) quantity in your message or have it useful if you happen to name them. 

The RPA produced an SFI guidelines leaflet if you happen to’d like have a look, to print it off or share it. 

Pace bumps 

On common, it takes 15 days to course of an utility.

Sometimes, it may well take longer relying on their measurement and compatibility with different schemes.

We all know that making use of for an SFI settlement if you happen to farm widespread land can take longer. 

Administration management is the most important issue slowing down an utility’s progress. For instance, when a landowner and tenant farmer submit separate functions and a parcel seems on each functions, the RPA undertakes checks to guarantee that there isn’t any duplication or overlap of land.  

It’s value noting that if you happen to’re making use of for an settlement on a Website of Particular Scientific Curiosity (SSSI), you could both give discover to Pure England or you could have already got consent from Pure England. The RPA must guarantee that the actions candidates wish to do are suitable with any current agreements on the land. The RPA can solely course of an utility as soon as Pure England has been in contact with them. Steering on making use of for SFI actions on SSSIs might be discovered on web page 118 of The SFI Handbook.  

Till just lately, candidates wanted to offer discover to Pure England the place there was an SSSI inside a parcel with MOR1 actions. MOR1 not requires candidates to achieve consent or to inform Pure England. That is a part of our dedication to make issues as simple as doable for individuals who wish to apply.

Please do share your suggestions so we will proceed to enhance the method of making use of for an SFI settlement and the steering.  

In instances the place there have been delays, the RPA has been in contact with candidates to speak via the difficulty. 

Assessing your utility  

When you submit your utility, it is going to be processed as rapidly as doable – as talked about, the common time this takes is 15 working days.  

The scheme isn’t aggressive so anybody who’s eligible will get an settlement.

As soon as your utility has been submitted and all compliance checks are full, the RPA will notify you. 

Proceed to examine Rural Funds service for any updates or correspondence from the RPA. Delays in responses can have a knock-on impact.

After you get your settlement supply  

You’ll obtain your first cost 4 months after your SFI settlement begins. After that you simply’ll be paid each 3 months, so you may have an everyday, dependable earnings. 

When you’re in SFI, you’ll be able to add extra land and actions to your settlement annually and you’ll have a number of agreements.  

We just lately introduced that we’re doubling the Administration Cost for SFI so these with current agreements will obtain as much as an additional £1,000 this spring. Will probably be prolonged to Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier for the primary yr of agreements beginning by March 2025.   

Contacting the RPA 

You should utilize the Rural Funds service to boost a question about your SFI utility, settlement or cost. Simply signal into the Rural Funds service and choose ‘Create or view a question’. 

You probably have a normal query about SFI, you’ll be able to contact the RPA by: 

e-mail: [email protected] – use ‘SFI’ within the topic header and embrace your SBI quantity
phone: 03000 200 301 – Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 5pm, besides financial institution holidays 
put up: PO Field 325, Worksop, S95 1DG.