There are five major routes to public-sector funding for UK farm solar in 2026. Your eligibility depends on five factors — where you farm (England / Wales / Scotland / NI), your land tenure, your trading structure, your project scope, and your timing.
The five major grants
1. Improving Farm Productivity grant (IFP)
Coverage: England. Value: 25% of eligible capital cost. Cap: £100,000 per business (£15,000 minimum grant). Eligibility: Registered English farm businesses incl. tenanted (with landlord consent). Note: the FETF closed for good on 28 April 2026 — IFP is England's live capital route.
2. Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI)
Coverage: England. Value: £40–£80/ha/year for relevant actions, ongoing. Eligibility: Solar alone isn't an SFI action, but agrivoltaic schemes (PV + grazing or pollinator-friendly ground cover) stack with biodiversity actions. SFI 2025 update brings tighter renewable energy alignment.
3. Welsh Farm Business Grant (FBG)
Coverage: Wales. Value: 40% capital, £12,000–£100,000 grant range. Eligibility: Active Welsh farm businesses. Application windows: Quarterly. Notably farmer-friendly with free pre-application advisor support via Farming Connect.
4. Scottish CARES loans + Sustainable Production Grant
Coverage: Scotland. Value: Interest-free/low-interest loans up to £150k via CARES (Local Energy Scotland). Up to 50% capital for islands and remote rural under SRDP. Eligibility: Scottish farms with SCC reg or equivalent. Application: Continuous open.
5. NI Farm Energy Efficiency Scheme (DAERA)
Coverage: Northern Ireland. Value: Up to 40% capital. Eligibility: Active NI farm businesses with farm business ID. Application: Annual window, opens spring.
Plus the non-grant tax routes
- 100% Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) — write down 100% of system cost against profits, year one, up to £1m cap. Stacks with grants.
- Capital Allowances on residual — main pool 18% writing down for value above AIA.
- Smart Export Guarantee (SEG) — roughly 4–12p/kWh for exported electricity (as at July 2026). Continuous, MCS-cert required.