BPS/ELM Payment Calculator
Calculate Sustainable Farming Incentive and ELM payments for 10+ environmental actions.
By Konstantin Iakovlev · Founder, Calks.uk
Last updated: · Verified against HMRC and GOV.UK 2026/27 rates
Hedgerow Management
£13.00 per 100m
Buffer Strips (6m)
£451.00 per ha
Winter Cover Crop
£129.00 per ha
Herbal Ley
£382.00 per ha
Soil Assessment
£97.00 per agreement
Flower-Rich Margins
£739.00 per ha
No Insecticide (arable)
£45.00 per ha
Companion Crop
£55.00 per ha
Pollen & Nectar Mix
£614.00 per ha
Woodland Management
£49.00 per ha
Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and Environmental Land Management (ELM) rates for England 2025. Apply via Rural Payments Agency. Rates are indicative.
Disclaimer
This calculator is provided for informational purposes only and should not be considered as financial or tax advice. All calculations are performed locally in your browser — no personal data is collected or sent to our servers. Rates and thresholds are sourced from HMRC and GOV.UK and are updated for the current tax year. Always verify results with HMRC or consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
How It Works
Environmental Land Management (ELM) schemes replaced the EU's Basic Payment Scheme in England. The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) pays farmers for environmental actions alongside food production. Countryside Stewardship (CS) covers more targeted environmental outcomes such as habitat creation and flood risk management.
SFI payments are made per hectare or per metre of hedgerow/margin, depending on the action. Common actions include: herbal leys (£382/ha), nutrient management (£652/ha for advanced), hedgerow management (£13/100m) and low-input grassland (£151/ha). Multiple actions can be stacked on the same land where compatible.
This calculator estimates your annual payment based on the actions you select and the area or length of feature. It shows which actions are stackable and flags any incompatibilities. Payment rates are set by Defra and reviewed annually.
UK ELM (Environmental Land Management) 2026. Replaces Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) phased out by 2027. Three tiers: SFI (Sustainable Farming Incentive) — soil/nutrient management, hedgerows, cover crops; Local Nature Recovery — habitat creation, peatland restoration; Landscape Recovery — large-scale rewilding/woodland. Most farmers using SFI 2026. Average payment £40-£200/hectare depending on actions chosen.
SFI 2026 standards and rates. Hedgerow management: £24/100m. Improved grassland soils: £22/ha. Arable + horticultural land soils: £36/ha. Cover crops winter: £163/ha. Nutrient management: £35/ha. Integrated pest management: £45/ha. Buffer strips on watercourses: £382/ha. Combining actions on same land: rates stack. Sample 200ha farm: typical £8,000-£25,000/year SFI payments.
Application process. Apply via Rural Payments service (gov.uk). Annual application window — typically open July-December for following year. Online land details (RPA registered). Choose actions per parcel. Agreement runs 3 years. Inspections: ~5% farms checked annually. Penalties for non-compliance: payment reduction 5-100% depending on severity. Must maintain Common Land Standards (boundary maintenance, hedgerow protection).
BPS phase-out and transition. Basic Payment Scheme (legacy EU CAP): 2021 was 100%; 2024 50%; 2025 40%; 2026 30%; 2027 0%. Delinked payments since 2024 — no longer tied to land farming actively. Reference period 2020-2022. SFI + ELMS expected to replace lost BPS for most farms — but profitability impact mixed. NFU surveys: 40% farms expect lower total support; 35% similar; 25% higher.
Other UK farm payment schemes. Countryside Stewardship (legacy): old higher-tier scheme being absorbed into ELM. Forestry: England Woodland Creation Offer £8,500/ha + £200/ha annual maintenance. Hedgerow Restoration grant: capital works £25,000+ available. Capital grants: equipment, infrastructure (one-off payments). Solar/Wind on farm: separate income streams, not ELM. Diversification grants (Farming Investment Fund): up to £25,000 grants for non-farm enterprises.
Example: 80 ha arable farm with SFI
- Nutrient management (advanced) on 80 ha: 80 × £652 = £52,160
- Companion cropping on 30 ha: 30 × £55 = £1,650
- Hedgerow management, 2,000 m: 2,000 ÷ 100 × £13 = £260
- Winter bird food on 4 ha: 4 × £853 = £3,412
- Total estimated annual SFI payment: £57,482
Frequently Asked Questions
- What does the BPS/ELM Payment Calculator do?
- Calculate Sustainable Farming Incentive and ELM payments for 10+ environmental actions.
- Are these based on Defra rates?
- Where applicable, this calculator uses rates and data from Defra, the Rural Payments Agency and industry standard references for UK agriculture.
- Does this account for regional variations?
- UK farming conditions vary by region, soil type and climate. This calculator provides national average figures — adjust for your specific location and circumstances.