DEFRA have published a blog outlining their expectations for the Capital Grants 2026 round. This will look very similar to the 2025 round, with a similar range of items which are grouped into categories, and there will still be limits applied to each group of items. As last year, there will be a limit of one application per SBI.
However, one of the key areas which caused issues last year looks like it will create issues again this year. Many resource protection items require approval from a Catchment Sensitive Farming officer (CSFO), which needs to be submitted alongside the application. In the last round CSFOs were unable to facilitate the large number of requests for approval when the application window opened, and so many applicants had items knocked out of the application because of this. Whilst many of those farmers have now had CSFO visits in preparation for the 2026 round, the DEFRA blog is clear that CSFOs will be UNABLE to facilitate any new requests for the 2026 application window. This means that unless you have already had CSFO discussions, it looks unlikely that any new application for resource protection items will get approval.
More information can be found on the DEFRA blog: The 2026 Capital Grants offer – The Farming Blog
Speak to our advisory team for assistance in getting a plan ready for making an application. Funds are likely to be limited, and the application window may only be open for a few weeks; so it’s important to get organised now.