Rural Payments and Services

What is Future Farming Investment Scheme (FFIS)?

The Future Farming Investment Scheme (FFIS) is a £14.25 million competitive capital grant scheme for Scottish farm and croft businesses. It supports investment intended to improve efficiency and sustainability, protect or enhance the environment, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, or help businesses adapt to climate change.

When can I apply?

The scheme guidance and Capital Investment Guide are available from 19 October 2026. Applications are not open yet. The application window will be announced in November 2026.

Who can apply?

In general, an applicant must be a registered agricultural business with an active Business Reference Number (BRN), have submitted a 2026 Single Application Form (SAF) by 15 May 2026 and claimed support through at least one of the eligible schemes listed in the guidance, and be actively undertaking agricultural activity. Further conditions apply. Read the full eligibility section before applying.

What should I do to prepare for the scheme opening?

Before the scheme opens:

• make sure your business details and preferred communication email address in Rural Payments and Services (RP&S) are correct and up to date
• make sure you have your RP&S sign-in details
• if you want an adviser or agent to apply for you, make sure they have the correct mandate for your business
• read the FFIS 2026 Scheme Guidance and Capital Investment Guide carefully
• decide which eligible investments you want to apply for, the quantity you genuinely need and, where you are asked to provide an expected cost, obtain a realistic cost for the investment.

Only apply for investments that you genuinely intend and are able to complete if you receive an offer and use realistic costs. Do not inflate expected costs to try to maximise the grant. FFIS has a limited budget, and overstated costs could reduce the funding available to other eligible applicants.

Where grant is based on the actual eligible cost of an investment, if the final eligible cost is lower than the amount used to calculate your grant, some of the grant may need to be recovered. In 2025, funding was committed to some investments that were not subsequently completed. This tied up funding that could otherwise have supported other eligible applicants.

Is the scheme likely to close early?

No. The application window will remain open until the published closing date. There is no advantage in applying on the first day.

Will applications submitted early be given priority?

No. Applications are not prioritised according to when they are submitted. Applications will be assessed and ranked after the application window closes.

Take the time to read the guidance, choose the investments that are right for your business and make sure the quantities and costs in your application are accurate.

Do I need an adviser or agent to apply for me?

No. The application has been designed to be straightforward, and you can complete it yourself through Manage Applications and Claims using your RP&S sign-in details.

You will be asked to:

• confirm your business details
• say whether you are a farmer or crofter and select your main agricultural activity
• choose the eligible investment or investments you want to apply for
• enter the quantity and cost for each investment
• check the application summary
• review your answers, complete the declaration and submit your application.

The system then calculates the grant amount for the investments you have selected.

If you prefer an adviser or agent to submit the application for you, they must have the appropriate mandate for your business before they can do so.

Do I need a Whole Farm Plan (WFP)?

If you claimed BPS in 2026, you must have completed and declared at least two different qualifying Whole Farm Plan (WFP) audits or plans on your 2026 SAF submitted by 15 May 2026. Each must meet the relevant preparation-date and minimum-standard rules: Soil Analysis, Biodiversity Audit and Carbon Audit must be dated 15 May 2021 to 15 May 2026 inclusive; Animal Health and Welfare Plans and Integrated Pest Management Plans must be dated 15 May 2025 to 15 May 2026 inclusive.

If successful, you must provide evidence of those same two elements. Submit each front page showing the audit or plan name, business name and preparation date; provide the full document only if SGRPID asks.

If you did not claim BPS but submitted a SAF to claim other eligible agricultural support, you may still apply; if successful, you must complete two qualifying elements before submitting FFIS evidence. Any two qualifying elements can be used. Check the full Scheme Guidance for the eligibility and date rules.

What can I apply for?

You can apply for the eligible capital investments listed in the Capital Investment Guide. Read each complete item entry carefully:

• the minimum specification,
• Item Score,
• Maximum Cost or Standard Cost,
• eligible and ineligible requirements,
• quantity limits,
• evidence requirements and any restrictions.

The item name alone does not establish eligibility. Investments must be brand new, meet the published requirements, be ordered and purchased after the offer of grant has been accepted and owned by the applicant business, and be used for that business’s agricultural activity.

What should I check in the Capital Investment Guide?

Read the full entry for every item you plan to include. Check the minimum specifications, eligible and ineligible requirements, exclusions, quantity limits and evidence rules. Confirm that the proposed item and its intended use meet every condition; an item being listed in the guide does not mean every model, cost or use is eligible. Check delivery timing too. All approved investments and quantities must be completed within nine months of the Offer date. Extensions are considered only in exceptional circumstances and require written approval.

What do I enter for Maximum Cost and Standard Cost investments?

For every investment, enter the total quantity and total cost for that quantity. For a Maximum Cost item, enter the realistic expected eligible cost for the full quantity, excluding any ineligible costs. Do not simply enter the guide maximum. The eligible cost used to calculate the grant is the lower of the cost entered and the applicable Maximum Cost. If the maximum is stated per unit, it is multiplied by the eligible quantity.

For a Standard Cost item, calculate the total cost as quantity multiplied by the published Standard Cost, then enter both the quantity and total cost. For example, 200 metres at £5 per metre means entering a quantity of 200 and a cost of £1,000. The system applies the grant rate and calculates the grant, subject to the £20,000 maximum. You do not calculate or enter the grant amount yourself.

How much grant can I receive?

The maximum grant is £20,000 per business. Depending on the business and investment, the grant rate may be 50%, 60%, 80% or 100%. Rates do not combine; where more than one rate could apply, the highest applicable rate is used. The rate and eligible costs determine grant value, but do not affect the application score or ranking.

How are the enhanced grant rates determined?

The standard rate is 50%. A new entrant is a business that first submitted a SAF in 2021 or later, as identified by its BRN, and qualifies for the 80% rate. A business qualifies for the 60% Highlands and Islands rate if the parish code in its recorded Main Location Code is listed in Annex A of the scheme guidance. If both conditions apply, the 80% new entrant rate is used instead of 60%. An investment identified in the Capital Investment Guide as eligible for the targeted environmental rate receives 100% instead of the other rates. Rates do not combine; the application system calculates the rate for each investment using your application, SGRPID records and item eligibility.

Why do some environmental investments receive a 100% grant rate?

The 100% rate is limited to specified environmental investments that are expected to deliver wider public benefits, such as biodiversity, water quality, climate or landscape benefits, and may offer limited direct financial return to the applicant business. The Capital Investment Guide identifies which investments qualify.

Will an eligible application receive funding?

Not necessarily. FFIS is competitive and has a £14.25 million budget. Eligible applications are scored and ranked under the published rules. Funding is offered in ranking order, and an application must be fundable in full within the available budget. Meeting the eligibility requirements does not guarantee an offer.

How are applications scored?

Each eligible investment has an Item Score in the Capital Investment Guide. An application receives one score, calculated as a cost-weighted average of the scores for all eligible investments in it.

Eligible applications are ranked from highest to lowest score. If scores are equal, the published tie-break rules apply: lower Total Eligible Cost across all eligible investments, followed by preference for a business that did not receive an FFIS 2025 grant payment. See the scheme guidance for the full ranking rules.

Are there priority groups or extra points for particular types of business?

No. Stakeholder feedback and delivery experience from FFIS 2025 highlighted confusion about priority groups. They have been removed, and all applications use the same published scoring and ranking method. There are no additional scoring points for business type or tenure, and grant rates do not affect the application score. A 2025 grant payment is relevant only under the published tie-break rules, after the score and eligible-cost tie-breaks.

Will a business that received FFIS funding in 2025 be excluded?

No. Stakeholders supported allowing previous recipients to apply again, and receiving FFIS funding in 2025 does not make a business ineligible for FFIS 2026. Previous payment does not affect the application score; it is considered only at the final tie-break, after the published score and cost criteria have been applied.

How do I apply?

Applications must be submitted online through the Manage Application and Claims (MAC) portal. A link will be published on the FFIS guidance page on Rural Payments and Services when the application window opens. You must complete the application in one session; it cannot be saved and completed later. Check the business’s RPS details and email address, read both guidance documents, and gather realistic cost estimates before starting. The application window will be announced in November.

Can I order equipment before I receive an offer?

No. You must accept your Offer of Grant before ordering, purchasing, paying a deposit, entering into a contract or otherwise committing to an approved investment. A commitment made before accepting the offer makes the investment ineligible.

How must I pay for a Maximum Cost investment?

The applicant business named in the Offer of Grant must purchase the approved investment and pay for it in full within the completion period. Hire purchase, leasing and other finance arrangements are not accepted. Finance, interest and charges are ineligible. Payment must be made by the business offered the grant and clearly linked to the invoice. This payment evidence rule applies to Maximum Cost purchases; Standard Cost work does not require invoices or proof of payment, but the approved quantity, length or area must be completed to specification.

When will the grant be paid and what happens afterwards?

You must accept the Offer of Grant within 14 calendar days, provide any required Minimal Financial Assistance information and meet any other pre-payment conditions. The grant will normally be paid within 30 working days after those conditions are met, to the registered business bank account. It is paid in advance and remains provisional. You must complete every approved investment and quantity, then submit the required evidence within nine months of the offer date. Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division (SGRPID) will verify the evidence and reconcile the grant before confirming final entitlement.

What evidence will I need?

Evidence depends on the investment. For investments using a Maximum Cost, this normally includes invoices, proof of payment and geotagged photographs, plus any required serial number or other item-specific evidence. For Standard Cost investments, invoices and proof of payment are not required; you must provide evidence of the completed quantity, length or area, usually including geotagged photographs before and after. Successful applicants must also provide the required Whole Farm Plan evidence.

Do I need to provide invoices or proof of payment for Standard Cost items?

No. For Standard Cost items, you do not need to provide invoices or proof of payment. Grant is based on the approved quantity and published Standard Cost.

What photographic evidence is needed for Standard Cost environmental items?

You must provide geotagged before and after photographs showing the location before the work was carried out and the completed investment afterwards. The photographs must clearly show that the approved investment and quantity have been completed.

Will other agricultural payments be affected?

Once the FFIS grant has been paid, all other agricultural support payments due or becoming due to the business will be placed on hold. The hold remains until all approved investments and quantities are complete, the evidence has been assessed and verified, and SGRPID has confirmed that the grant conditions have been met. Submitting evidence alone does not release the hold.