Farmers across Northern Ireland are being urged to apply for the 2026 Farming with Nature Transition Scheme before applications close at 5pm on 31 July 2026.
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs says the scheme offers farm businesses up to £20,000 for practical environmental improvements while supporting a more sustainable and resilient farming sector.
The scheme forms part of DAERA’s Sustainable Agriculture Programme and is described by the department as a key ministerial priority. Following its first year, the 2026 scheme includes new actions, wider eligibility and greater flexibility for applicants.
Changes for year two include extending eligibility to active Environmental Farming Scheme agreement holders and introducing eight additional actions. These include three new arable field margins, two herbal leys and three management actions for hedgerows, trees and seven-metre riparian buffer strips established under year one.
Farm businesses can apply for up to £20,000 this year, with no minimum application value. To be eligible, applicants must have a DAERA Category 1 or 2 Business Identification Number.
Businesses that applied in year one may apply again in year two. DAERA says businesses unable to complete approved year one actions may reapply for those actions alongside any additional year two actions, provided no payment claim was submitted for the unfinished work.
Applications are made online through DAERA services. Approval notifications will issue through DAERA Message, and applicants are advised to check email regularly, including junk mail. Work on year two actions must not begin until an approval notification has been received.