Farmers, land managers and foresters across England are already making the most of the opportunities available through the 2026 Capital Grants offer.
This year, £225 million is available to support practical environmental improvements on farms and across the countryside.
This funding pot is 50% larger than in 2025, reflecting the growing demand for investment in nature, water quality, biodiversity and sustainable land management.
As anticipated, interest has been strong from the outset, with applicants eager to deliver projects that will have lasting benefits for both their land and the environment.
We committed to providing regular updates as funding is allocated, with milestones at 25%, 50% and 75% of the available budget.
Today, we can confirm that the first of those milestones has been reached: 25% of the 2026 Capital Grants budget has now been allocated, demonstrating the significant appetite for environmental investment across England's farming and rural communities.
If you’re interested in learning more and applying, you can:
- read the Capital Grants 2026 guidance on GOV.UK to explore the full range of available items and eligibility requirements
- watch our Capital Grants webinar for practical advice on making an application and getting the most from the scheme. Colleagues from Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) and the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) joined us
- read our previous blog posts on the Capital Grants offer
- use the Capital Grant Finder to identify the items that could work best for your farm or landholding
We will blog again when we hit the 50% milestone.
This budget update relates solely to the Capital Grants 2026 offer. The capital grants available through the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) offer are funded from a separate budget.
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11 comments
Comment by Paul Alexander posted on
Thanks. Have done.
Comment by Bri Byng posted on
How come 25% of the grant was allocated before the grant was opened? I am just wondering as now 50% has been allocated two days after the grant opened. I am sure you are all very efficient but to allocate over a million pounds worth of grant in a few days seems odd. Please could you tell me when you started the allocations and whether you received applications before these Capital grants opened? Many thanks
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hello Bri,
No applications were received before the offer opened. The application module (the part we switch on to allow people to submit an application) opened at 12:33 on 30 July. Before that point, it was not possible for anyone, either externally through the portal or internally, to create or submit an application.
The 25% allocation post was published at 18:04 the same day, reflecting the high level of demand. The scheme has proved to be extremely popular, which is why a significant proportion of the budget has been allocated within a relatively short period - and just to note, 25%/50%/75% isn’t 'spent' - it’s the value of applications submitted.
Best wishes,
Sarah
Comment by kate collingwood posted on
Why don't you offer the option of replacing fence posts without removing all the wire? The wire lasts much longer than the posts and it's difficult and wasteful to have to replace the lot, not sustainable at all. This was constantly raised by the pilot groups.
Comment by The Team posted on
Hi Kate,
The payment rate is intended to support the installation of new fencing and is calculated on a per-metre basis. As such, it reflects the cost of a complete fencing specification, including both posts and wire.
Best wishes,
The Team
Comment by Alex Garthwaite posted on
How delayed are the funding uptake percentages posted and how regularly are they monitored?
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hi Alex,
These posts are published as close to real time as possible, and the funding data is monitored regularly by the RPA. Monitoring of the figures isn't limited to standard weekday working hours, and neither is the publication of posts. To help keep delays to a minimum, we prepare the posts in advance so that, once the allocation threshold is reached, we can publish the update as quickly as possible.
Best wishes,
Sarah
Comment by Tom Parsons posted on
WHy isn't TE6 (standard tree guard) available? The capital grant finder indicates that it should be but it is not an option on my account.
Comment by Sarah Stewart posted on
Hi Tom,
TE6 was part of the 2025 offer. In the 2026 offer, it has been replaced by TE19: Tree guard (narrow weld mesh).
https://www.gov.uk/capital-grant-finder/te19-tree-guard-narrow-weld-mesh
Best wishes,
Sarah
Comment by Paul Alexander posted on
Sruggling to get my application through the system I have so far been unsuccessful concerningme that if I don't get a speedy answer to my online and telephone query for help the whole budget may be allocated before I can get a response from you which would seem grossly unfair to someone who has prrepared for this well in advance,
Comment by The Team posted on
Hi Paul,
Thank you for getting in touch.
To help identify what may be preventing you from progressing your application, please contact the RPA Helpline. The team will be able to look into your application in more detail and advise on the next steps.
RPA Helpline: 03000 200 301
Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm
Best wishes,
The Team