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The Capital Grants Offer for 2026 – What You Need to Know

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Nathan Walker

Farm Environment Adviser and Technical Manager

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Getting Stuck Into Great Crested Newt Surveys

Over the past few weeks, Abby and Dee have been carrying out a series of great crested newt (Triturus cristatus, GCN) surveys across ponds in Norfolk. GCN are a protected species in the UK and are considered an important indicator of healthy freshwater ecosystems. The presence of breeding populations often

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What the LEAF Marque Standard Means for Farmers in 2026 

LEAF (Linking Environment and Farming) is a UK‑based organisation that promotes sustainable farming through its Integrated Farm Management (IFM) principles. The LEAF Marque Standard is an environmental assurance system that recognises landowners who are committed to responsible soil management, biodiversity protection, efficient water and energy use, and overall sustainable production. When consumers see the LEAF Marque label,

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The First Five Years of District Level Licensing

Author: Abigail Dent Natural England’s District Level Licensing (DLL) scheme has now been running for five years, delivering a strategic approach to creating and restoring high-quality pond habitats where they can have the greatest ecological impact. The scheme funds compensatory habitat for Great Crested Newts, offsetting the loss of ponds

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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.