Defra Opens New Round of Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants for England's Farmers

A new round of the Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants is now open for applications, offering £150 million in funding to support sustainable farming and environmental improvement across England.

What’s Available

The scheme offers three-year agreements to farmers and land managers, covering 78 capital items that deliver a range of environmental benefits. These include:

• Air and water quality improvements
• Natural flood management
• Boundary restoration
• Environmental assessments
• Educational access

This round introduces four new items, including woodland condition assessments and wildfire management plans.

Funding Limits

Funding caps apply to certain categories:

• £25,000 each for water quality, air quality, and natural flood management
• £35,000 for boundaries, trees, and orchards
• No limits for assessments and improvement items

Applicants can mix and match items across all six categories within one application.

Who Can Apply?

Eligible applicants must:

• Have full management control of the land for the duration of the agreement
• Be located entirely within England

Landowners, tenants, landlords, and licensors are all encouraged to apply.

Application Deadline

Applications will be accepted until the available funding is fully committed, so early applications are advised.

To find out more and apply, visit the official Defra Farming Blog.