Farm Solar Grant Calendar 2026

UK farm solar grants are time-bound. England's headline scheme, the Improving Farm Productivity grant (25% of capital), runs in discrete application rounds — and schemes do close for good: the old FETF ended permanently on 28 April 2026. Welsh Farm Business Grant Energy runs four quarterly windows. Scottish CARES is continuously open but underwrites in 6-8 week cycles. Northern Ireland DAERA runs one spring window. SFI is continuously open. Miss a round and you can wait the best part of a year for £15,000+ of grant on a typical 100kW installation.

This calendar shows every farm solar grant window in 2026, plus the preparation work that needs to happen before the window opens to land a successful application. Most rejections trace back to preparation left too late, not weak projects.

Month-by-month grant calendar

Pre-application preparation checklist

Most rejected grant applications fail at the eligibility stage rather than scoring. Have these ready before the window opens:

1. 1. SBI / CPH / business ID — your single business identifier (Single Business Identifier in England, similar in devolved nations). Verify it's active and matches grant scheme records.
2. 2. Twelve months of half-hourly meter data — required to prove energy consumption baseline. Order from your supplier 4 weeks ahead if not already collected.
3. 3. Structural roof survey — confirms the building can take panel weight. Required for grant scoring on most schemes.
4. 4. Asbestos cement report — if your barn is 1960s-1980s, get an ACM test ahead of application. Asbestos removal often funded as part of the project.
5. 5. DNO connection budget enquiry — submit to your local DNO 6 weeks before grant application. Some schemes require confirmed grid capacity at application.
6. 6. Planning pre-application — if your project might fall outside permitted development (ground-mount, AONB, listed building), submit a planning pre-app 8 weeks before grant application.
7. 7. Three-year accounts — most grant schemes require evidence of trading viability. Have last three filed accounts ready.
8. 8. Match funding evidence — proof of funds for the roughly 75% you're providing alongside a 25% grant (60% alongside 40% devolved schemes). Bank statement, finance agreement in principle, or capital allowance confirmation.

How grants stack with tax relief

UK farm solar grants stack with tax allowances. A typical 100kW installation costing £70,000 gross with England's 25% IFP grant (£17,500) leaves £52,500 net. That £52,500 then qualifies for 100% Annual Investment Allowance against farm profits, delivering a further £13,125 of corporation tax saving (assumes 25% CT). Total support: £30,625 of £70,000 cost (~44%). Pure cash-out to the farm: roughly £39,375. Devolved 40% schemes push the support share higher.

This stacking is legal and standard practice — no anti-avoidance rules apply. The grant is treated as a capital contribution that reduces the cost basis for capital allowance claims.

Scoring tips by scheme

• Improving Farm Productivity (England): Score boosters — early submission in the round, robust half-hourly meter evidence, productivity narrative, environmental net gain.
• Welsh FBG-E: Score boosters — Farming Connect mentoring engagement, sustainability commitments, integration with broader farm plan, Welsh language site presence.
• Scottish CARES + Sustainable Production: Score boosters — islands/remote rural, integration with wind/hydro, community benefit element, biodiversity ground cover.
• NI DAERA: Score boosters — high-baseload livestock or poultry, ammonia mitigation co-benefit, energy security narrative, integration with broader Farm Business Improvement Scheme.
• SFI Pollinator + Solar: Score boosters — wildflower seed mix specification, hedgerow management plan, biodiversity baseline survey, monitoring commitment.

Related reading

• • Full grants overview — FETF, FBG, CARES, DAERA, SFI
• • 5-question eligibility checker
• • Pricing — gross and net costs by system size
• • Finance options if you don't qualify for grants