SFI Window 2 opened at 10am on 22nd September and then closed less than 6 hours later with the £253 million budget fully allocated. Defra reports that around 12,200 applications were submitted with around 72% from farms with existing agri-environment agreements due to expire by February 2027.
We have had many calls from distressed farmers and agents who could not submit applications before the Window closed. Last week, we circulated an on-line survey to gather evidence about how this impacted our members and have had feedback from 50 farmers and agents so far. We have put together a report summarising your experiences which has been shared with the Defra engagement team and is being sent to other organisations including National Parks, National Landscapes and the NFU. We would like to thank everyone who responded and you can download a copy of the report HERE
