Rural Payments Agency
This information explains what youre agreeing to when you enter into a Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) standards agreement, when it will start and what changes you can request once your agreement starts.
Entering into an agreement
When you submit your SFI application, we will process it. Well notify you when your SFI standards agreement offer is available in the Rural Payments service to review.
To enter into the agreement, you must accept it and sign it electronically. Your SFI standards agreement cannot start until you do this.
Your SFI standards agreement comprises the:
- agreement document, which you can view in the Rural Payments service
- standards you have chosen
- scheme terms and conditions
By accepting your SFI standards agreement, you are agreeing to follow the scheme terms and conditions. You should read them carefully before you accept it.
How to review your agreement offer
To review your SFI standards agreement offer, sign into the Rural Payments service. From your Business overview page, select Environmental Land Management Applications and Agreements and Open agreement. You can then select Download to view your agreement offer.
You can only accept or reject your agreement offer. You cannot request changes to it. You need to accept or reject your agreement offer within 15 working days of it being available.
To accept or reject your agreement offer, you must have either BPS amend, BPS submit or Business details: full permission.
To accept your agreement offer, select Accept and tick the box to confirm you have read the declaration, then select the Accept button on that screen. This means you have electronically signed the agreement. You do not need to print your agreement offer to sign and return it to us.
To reject your agreement offer, select Reject. You will then see the Reject agreement offer screen with a free text box. To help us understand why youre rejecting your agreement offer, you need to enter the reason (at least 10 characters) to be able to select Reject on this screen. Once youve entered the reason, select Reject and youll see a message that confirms weve received your rejection.
As there is no deadline to apply for SFI, you can re-apply at any time.
When your agreement will start
SFIstandards agreements do not all start on a single date. The start date for your agreement depends on when you submit yourSFIapplication, how long it takes to process and how quickly you accept your agreement offer.
YourSFIstandards agreement cannot start until you accept it. You need to do this within 15 working days of it being available to review in the Rural Payments service.
If you accept your agreement by the end of the calendar month, it will start on the first day of the following calendar month. If you do not, it will start later, on the next available start date.
YourSFIstandards agreement will last for 3 years from its start date, as shown on your agreement document.
Submitting an annual declaration
You must submit an annual declaration to confirm youve complied, or expect to have complied, with the obligations under your agreement for the relevant agreement year. This allows us to pay you the final quarterly instalment of your annual payment for that agreement year.
When to submit an annual declaration
Each year of your SFI standards agreement, you must submit your annual declaration during the last 2 months of the relevant agreement year (the annual declaration period).
The timing of your annual declaration period will depend on your SFI standards agreements start date. Well tell you when your annual declaration is available to complete.
If you do not submit your annual declaration by the end of the relevant agreement year, we may be unable to make the final quarterly instalment of your annual payment. We may also withhold your other payments or recover payments, and your agreement may be ended.
Your annual declaration will not be available to complete if:
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youve already told us about a change of circumstances, which means youve not been able to comply with your SFI standards agreement
-
there are other outstanding queries about your SFI standards agreement
If this is the case, your annual declaration will not be available to complete until weve resolved these issues.
For the first year of your SFI standards agreement, the table below sets out when the annual declaration period opens and closes for each agreement start date.
Agreement start date | Declaration period opens | Declaration period closes |
---|---|---|
1 July 2022 | 1 May 2023 | 30 June 2023 |
1 August 2022 | 1 June 2023 | 31 July 2023 |
1 September 2022 | 1 July 2023 | 31 August 2023 |
1 October 2022 | 1 August 2023 | 31 September 2023 |
1 November 2022 | 1 September 2023 | 31 October 2023 |
1 December 2022 | 1 October 2023 | 30 November 2023 |
1 January 2023 | 1 November 2023 | 31 December 2023 |
1 February 2023 | 1 December 2023 | 31 January 2024 |
1 March 2023 | 1 January 2023 | 29 February 2024 |
1 April 2023 | 1 February 2024 | 31 March 2024 |
1 May 2023 | 1 March 2024 | 30 April 2024 |
How to submit an annual declaration
Youll submit your annual declaration online in the Rural Payments service.
When we notify you that your annual declaration is available for you to complete, sign in to the Rural Payments service, go to your Business overview screen and select SFI applications and agreements.
If your annual declaration is available for you to complete, youll see an Annual Declaration button. Select that and confirm if youre in a position to submit your annual declaration.
If youve been unable to comply, or expect to be unable to comply, with the obligations under your SFI agreement for the relevant agreement year:
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select No
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tell us about the change of circumstances which has prevented you from complying with your SFI agreement
Read more about checking progress of your SFI standards agreement.
Requesting changes to your agreement
Youll