Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier – information and advice
Defra has announced that the new Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (HT) scheme will open for applications in September 2025, to those who have been invited to apply.
It has been a long wait for this moment – the application window was last open in autumn 2023.
But it is a welcome move given the current pause in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) scheme. With natural capital markets also still taking shape, many farmers and land managers are asking: what else is there which can deliver for us, right now?
For some, Countryside Stewardship Higher-Tier (HT) may be the answer.
Higher Tier (HT) is not a silver bullet, but it is a practical, well-established scheme which can help rural businesses stay profitable, while building towards a more environmentally sustainable, resilient future.
It can be used as a route to unlock:
- Landscape-scale transformation
- Substantial capital investment
- Long-term revenue streams
- A foundation for diversification and natural capital ventures
Crucially, HT agreements do not mean stepping away from farming and food production, they are supporting farming in a better way for the environment, smarter, and more sustainably. British food production must remain at the core of land use policy.
But let us be clear:
- It is complex
- It is competitive
- And it is not for everyone
HT is not a tick-box exercise. It demands vision, early investment, and long-term commitment, often before funding is even confirmed. But when done right, it can completely reshape the future of your farm or estate, delivering significant value.
The updated version of the scheme offers 132 actions and 142 capital items, including 25 new items.
The new actions include:
- a new species-rich floodplain meadow action
- a range of waterbody actions to help connect river and floodplain habitats, manage riparian and water edge habitats and prevent downstream flooding
- Four new agroforestry actions
Defra has clarified that the expected closure of the standalone Capital Grants scheme shortly will not have an impact on HT applications.
Capital grant applications through the HT scheme, Capital Grants Plans (for species, agroforestry and woodland management plans), Protection and Infrastructure grants or Woodland Tree Health will not be closed or affected.
However, only applicants who have completed the necessary pre-application steps with either a Natural England or Forestry Commission adviser will be invited to apply at this stage.
Defra has indicated it intends to open up the scheme to more farmers in the future.
We support landowners and managers in navigating the complex process of preparing for a HT application.
We develop credible, grounded applications that tie together food production, land management, and environmental stewardship.
We keep hearing about farming in transition, and that we must change our mindsets. It is clearly time to rethink land management because the agricultural businesses of tomorrow will not look like those of today.
If you are considering a HT application or how to manage your land for the future, please contact Henry Clemons.
