Last reviewed: June 2026 — figures verified against gov.uk Improving Farm Productivity (IFP) applicant guidance updated 2 March 2026. Reviewed by the SolarPanelsForFarms.uk MCS-certified grants team.
Yes — UK farmers can get grants for solar panels. In England the Improving Farm Productivity (IFP) grant covers 25% of capital cost, from £15,000 to £100,000, for rooftop or irrigation-reservoir solar — ground-mounted arrays are not eligible. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland run parallel schemes worth up to 40% of capital cost. Every route stacks with the 100% Annual Investment Allowance, which writes the residual cost down against your year-one taxable profits.
UK farm solar in 2026 is the most heavily-supported it has ever been. In England the headline route is the Improving Farm Productivity grant — 25% of capital cost — and across Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland capital grants reach up to 40%. On top of any grant, the 100% Annual Investment Allowance writes the residual down against profits in year one. For a profitable farm business, the effective post-grant, post-tax cost of a £75,000 rooftop solar system in 2026 typically lands in the £40,000s — with payback typically in the 2–4 year band.
Below is the complete map of every UK funding route in 2026, organised by region. We write the application paperwork as part of every quote and our 2024–2025 approval rate sits above 90%.
Government grants for solar farms — the four-nation summary
Whether you search for government grants for solar farms, solar power grants for farms, solar panel grants for farmers or solar farm government funding, the answer is the same set of national schemes below. There is no single "solar farm grant" in the UK — government support for agricultural solar is delivered through national schemes that differ by nation. In England, the scheme Defra and the Rural Payments Agency fund for farm solar is the Improving Farm Productivity (IFP) grant at 25% of capital cost, alongside SFI and Countryside Stewardship. In Wales it is the Farm Business Grant; in Scotland, CARES interest-free loans plus the Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant; in Northern Ireland, the DAERA Farm Energy Efficiency Scheme. Every one of these stacks with the 100% Annual Investment Allowance. Note: large field-scale "solar farms" (ground-mount energy parks) are commercial generation projects funded through PPAs and the Contracts for Difference auction rather than farm grants — the schemes below fund on-farm rooftop and reservoir solar that powers your own holding.
| Nation | Scheme | % covered | Min grant | Max grant | Rooftop only? | Ground-mount eligible? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England | Improving Farm Productivity (+ SFI, CS Capital) | 25% | £15,000 | £100,000 | Rooftop or reservoir | No |
| Wales | Farm Business Grant — Efficiency | 40% | £12,000 | £100,000 | Rooftop priority | Case-by-case |
| Scotland | CARES loan + SACG | 40% (SACG) / interest-free loan (CARES) | — | £20,000 (SACG) / £150,000 (CARES) | Either | Yes (rural/remote) |
| N. Ireland | DAERA Farm Energy Efficiency Scheme | Up to 40% | — | £100,000 | Rooftop priority | Case-by-case |
Figures verified against gov.uk Improving Farm Productivity applicant guidance (updated 2 March 2026) and the devolved-nation scheme guidance. The England IFP grant carries a £500,000 aggregate cap per business.
England — Improving Farm Productivity (IFP) grant
The Improving Farm Productivity grant is the scheme Defra and the Rural Payments Agency fund for English farm solar — and the scheme Google's results treat as the answer to "solar farm grant". It is a competitive capital grant covering 25% of eligible capital cost, with a minimum grant of £15,000 (25% of a £60,000 project), a maximum grant of £100,000 per business, and a £500,000 aggregate cap across all grants per business.
Eligible items under the IFP solar route include: solar PV panels, battery storage, inverters, meters, grid connection, power diverters, EV charge points, and up to 10% of project cost towards a grid upgrade. Grant-funded solar must be on a farm-building rooftop or an irrigation reservoir — ground-mounted arrays are not eligible.
The 2026 IFP round is expected to open in the February–April window. Applications are assessed competitively on a points-based system — projects that score on energy efficiency, GHG reduction, animal welfare and farm productivity all rank higher. Eligibility extends to all registered English farm businesses including tenanted farms (with written landlord consent), partnerships, sole traders and limited companies. We have prepared productivity-grant applications for over 200 English farms with a 92% approval rate. A generic application typically scores 60–70/100, whereas a well-prepared specialist application scores 85–95.
England — Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF)
The Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) was a separate, older Defra fund that paid fixed-rate grants against a published list of eligible equipment items (typically ~£1,000–£25,000 per item). It was never a percentage-based capital grant for full solar installations — and its final round closed on 28 April 2026, with no further rounds announced. For agricultural solar in England, the Improving Farm Productivity grant above is the live scheme to apply for.
Can you get a grant for ground-mounted solar on a farm?
No — ground-mounted solar is not eligible for the England Improving Farm Productivity grant. Only solar on farm-building rooftops or on irrigation reservoirs qualifies for grant funding. This is the single most-quoted constraint in the official guidance and the one farmers most often get wrong.
If your only viable option is a field-scale ground-mount array, the economics work differently: large ground-mount "solar farms" are commercial generation projects funded through power purchase agreements (PPAs), land leases (typically £850–£1,200 per acre per year, RPI-linked) or the Contracts for Difference auction — not farm grants. In Scotland, CARES loans and SRDP support can extend to rural ground-mount in remote areas. For most working farms, putting the array on existing barn and shed roofs both unlocks the IFP grant and avoids the planning objections that field-scale ground-mount attracts. See our 1-acre solar farm cost and income guide if you are weighing a ground-mount route.
England — Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI)
SFI is not a capital grant for solar itself but a stackable ongoing payment for farms taking agrivoltaic approaches — solar PV combined with biodiversity-positive ground cover, pollinator-friendly planting, or compatible sheep grazing. SFI payments of £40–£80 per hectare per year compound over the system's 25-year life and materially improve overall project economics on ground-mount installations.
The SFI 2025 update introduced specific renewable energy alignment, recognising co-located solar generation as compatible with biodiversity outcomes. Practical examples: pollinator-friendly wildflower seed mixes under ground-mount panels (the Pollinator and Farmland Wildlife Package); rotational sheep grazing on agrivoltaic sites (the Improved Grassland Soils package); wet grassland under elevated panels on Levels-style farms (the Wetland Habitats package).
England — Countryside Stewardship Capital Grants
For farms already enrolled in CS Mid-Tier or Higher-Tier agreements, the Capital Grants strand provides up to £50,000 supplementary capital for projects with demonstrable biodiversity co-benefits. Solar installations that include wildlife corridors, pollinator strips, or wetland habitat creation under or around the array typically qualify.
Wales — Farm Business Grant (Efficiency)
Welsh Government's FBG-E covers 40% of eligible capital cost with grants between £12,000 and £100,000. The application process is notably farmer-friendly — Farming Connect provides free pre-application advisor support, and rejection rates were materially lower than under the old English FETF.
Eligibility extends to all active Welsh farm businesses with a Customer Reference Number (CRN) and current farm business ID. Application windows run quarterly with assessment typically taking 6–10 weeks. We've prepared Welsh FBG-E applications for dairy, beef, sheep and horticultural farms across Powys, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Gwynedd.
Wales — Sustainable Production Grant
For larger Welsh projects exceeding the FBG-E £100,000 grant ceiling, the Sustainable Production Grant provides up to £400,000 grant at 40% intervention rate. It targets larger commercial farms with productivity or market access angles, including farms supplying the major supermarkets where Scope 3 emissions reporting is now mandatory.
Scotland — CARES Loans
Local Energy Scotland's Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) provides interest-free or low-interest loans up to £150,000 for rural Scottish renewables including farm PV. Unlike grants, CARES loans must be repaid — but the zero-interest profile makes them broadly equivalent to a 25% capital grant in cash-flow terms.
CARES is open continuously with rolling assessment and is particularly suited to Scottish farms preferring debt-style financing over grant applications. We handle the application alongside the parallel Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant submission to maximise total support.
Scotland — Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant
The Scottish Government's SACG provides 40% capital up to £20,000 grant per farm. Smaller ceiling than other routes but stackable with the CARES loan for the residual — so a £80,000 Scottish farm solar project might receive £20,000 SACG plus £60,000 CARES loan, effectively zero out-of-pocket at point of install.
Scotland — SRDP for Islands and Remote Areas
Farms in genuinely remote rural Scotland or the islands (Orkney, Shetland, Western Isles) qualify for enhanced support under the Scottish Rural Development Programme at 50% intervention rate up to £500,000. This reflects the higher delivered cost of solar materials and labour in remote locations.
Northern Ireland — Farm Energy Efficiency Scheme (DAERA)
DAERA's Farm Energy Efficiency Scheme provides up to 40% of capital cost for NI farm energy projects including solar PV. The 2025 budget increased 30% versus 2024 reflecting strong uptake and proven payback. Application windows open in spring with assessment over 8–10 weeks.
Eligibility covers all active Northern Ireland farms with farm business ID. We coordinate applications through our Belfast partner team for NI installations.
UK-wide — 100% Annual Investment Allowance (AIA)
The single most valuable financial benefit for profitable farm businesses isn't a grant — it's the 100% Annual Investment Allowance. AIA allows you to write down 100% of qualifying capital expenditure against taxable profits in the year of purchase, up to a £1,000,000 cap per business per year.
Solar PV is unambiguously qualifying plant and machinery for AIA purposes. For a limited company paying 25% corporation tax, that means a £75,000 solar install delivers a £18,750 tax saving in year one — on top of any grant received. For a partnership or sole trader, the saving depends on the principal's marginal income tax rate (typically 20–45%), and can be even higher.
AIA stacks fully with IFP, FBG, SACG, and DAERA. Sequence: receive the grant (25% of capital under England's IFP), then claim 100% AIA on the residual 75% in year one.
UK-wide — Smart Export Guarantee (SEG)
Every farm solar system over 50 kWp that is MCS-certified is eligible to register with a SEG-licensed electricity supplier for ongoing payments on exported electricity. Current SEG tariffs range from 4p/kWh (basic suppliers) to around 12p/kWh — Octopus Outgoing fixed was cut from 15p to 12p on 1 March 2026, so treat any 15p quote as stale (rates as at July 2026).
For farms with strong daytime self-consumption (dairy, poultry, processing), export is typically 30% of generation or less and SEG income is modest — £500–£2,000 per year on a 100kW system. For arable farms with seasonal load profiles (peak demand only during August–October grain drying), export can hit 50–60% of generation and SEG income materially improves overall return.
UK-wide — Capital Allowances on residual investment
Capital expenditure above the £1m AIA cap qualifies for ongoing Capital Allowances at 18% per year on a reducing-balance basis (main pool). This applies to integrated battery storage systems, BESS containers, and any associated infrastructure exceeding the AIA cap. Few farm installations exceed £1m so this rarely matters in practice, but for large ground-mount or multi-MW estate-scale projects it does.
How the grants stack — worked example
Consider an English dairy farm installing a £75,000 100 kWp rooftop system in 2026, claiming the Improving Farm Productivity grant (25%):
- Gross capital cost: £75,000
- Improving Farm Productivity grant at 25% capital: −£18,750 (within the £15k–£100k band)
- Net cost before tax: £56,250
- 100% AIA against £56,250 at 25% corporation tax: −£14,063
- Effective net cost after grant and tax: £42,187
- Year-1 generation: 88,000 kWh
- Year-1 saving (70% self-consumed at 30p/kWh + 30% SEG export at 8p/kWh): £20,592
- Simple payback: ~2.0 years (within the verified 1.6–2.6-year farm-rooftop band)
- 25-year lifetime savings: £480,000+
Figures use the verified gross cost band of £600–£900/kWp and the current England IFP rate of 25%. Devolved-nation grants at up to 40% (Wales/Scotland/NI) reduce the effective net cost further.
How to apply for a farm solar grant in 2026
- Check eligibility. Confirm your nation's scheme, your farm business registration and that the solar is roof- or reservoir-mounted (England IFP excludes ground-mount).
- Get an MCS-certified quote BEFORE you order. Ordering equipment or starting work before grant approval invalidates the application.
- Prepare the application. System specification, half-hourly meter baseline, generation and GHG-saving projections, costed quotations and a delivery timeline.
- Submit within the open window. The England IFP round typically runs February–April; Welsh and Scottish rounds are quarterly/annual.
- Get approval, then install. Once approved, complete the install within the grant delivery window and submit the claim with evidence.
How to apply — let us handle the paperwork
Every FETF, FBG, SACG, SPG, CARES or DAERA application we submit on behalf of a client includes:
- Full system specification with MCS-certified equipment list
- Half-hourly meter data analysis demonstrating energy use baseline
- Projected generation, self-consumption and GHG savings calculations
- Cost breakdown with supplier quotations
- Project timeline and delivery plan
- Scoring matrix alignment against the specific grant criteria
- Supporting evidence on farm productivity, animal welfare or biodiversity co-benefits
Our 2024–2025 approval rate across all four nations is 91%. The most common reason for the 9% that did not approve: timeline mismatch (project not deliverable within grant window). We screen this at the eligibility-check stage to avoid wasted applications.
Common questions about farm solar grants
Are there grants for solar panels on farms in the UK?
Yes. UK farmers can get grants for solar panels. In England the Improving Farm Productivity (IFP) grant covers 25% of capital cost, from a £15,000 minimum to a £100,000 maximum grant, for rooftop or irrigation-reservoir solar. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland run parallel schemes worth up to 40% of capital.
How much is the solar farm grant in the UK?
In England the Improving Farm Productivity grant pays 25% of eligible capital cost, with a minimum grant of £15,000 (25% of a £60,000 project) and a maximum grant of £100,000 per business, subject to a £500,000 aggregate cap. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland schemes typically fund up to 40% of capital cost.
What is the Improving Farm Productivity grant for solar?
The Improving Farm Productivity (IFP) grant is the Defra/RPA scheme that funds farm solar in England. It pays 25% of capital cost (minimum £15,000, maximum £100,000 grant). Eligible items include solar PV, battery storage, inverters, meters, grid connection, power diverters, EV charge points and up to 10% of project cost for a grid upgrade. The solar must be on a farm-building roof or an irrigation reservoir.
What percentage of solar cost does the farm grant cover?
The England Improving Farm Productivity grant covers 25% of the eligible capital cost. The Welsh Farm Business Grant, Scottish Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant and Northern Ireland DAERA scheme each cover up to 40%. The 100% Annual Investment Allowance then writes down the residual cost against year-one taxable profits.
What is the minimum and maximum solar grant for farmers?
For the England Improving Farm Productivity grant the minimum grant is £15,000 (25% of a £60,000 project) and the maximum grant is £100,000 per business, with a £500,000 aggregate cap across all grants. The Welsh Farm Business Grant runs from £12,000 to £100,000 at 40% of cost.
Can you get a grant for ground-mounted solar on a farm?
No — ground-mounted solar is not eligible for the England Improving Farm Productivity grant. Only solar on farm-building rooftops or on irrigation reservoirs qualifies. Ground-mounted field-scale arrays are commercial generation projects funded through PPAs, leases or the Contracts for Difference auction rather than farm grants.
Are solar panels on farm buildings grant-eligible?
Yes. Rooftop solar on farm buildings is exactly what the England Improving Farm Productivity grant funds — barns, livestock sheds, grain stores, dairy parlours and packhouses all qualify, provided the roof is structurally suitable. Solar on an irrigation reservoir also qualifies.
Do tenant farmers qualify for solar grants?
Yes, with written landlord consent. The tenant applies for and receives the grant; the landlord provides a letter of consent confirming the installation can proceed. We provide a standard tenant solar agreement template that satisfies the tenancy requirements and protects both parties.
Can you get a grant for battery storage on a farm?
Yes. Battery storage paired with solar generation is an eligible item under the England Improving Farm Productivity grant. Welsh FBG-E and Scottish SACG also support battery storage in 2026, and Northern Ireland DAERA assesses it case-by-case.
How do I apply for a farm solar grant in 2026?
Check eligibility, get an MCS-certified quote BEFORE you order any equipment, then submit your application during the open window (the England Improving Farm Productivity round typically opens February–April). The grant must be approved before work begins on site. We prepare and submit the full application as part of every quote.
Are there solar grants for farmers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?
Yes. Wales runs the Farm Business Grant — Efficiency (40% of cost, £12,000–£100,000) and the Sustainable Production Grant. Scotland offers CARES interest-free loans up to £150,000 plus the Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant (40%, up to £20,000). Northern Ireland runs the DAERA Farm Energy Efficiency Scheme at up to 40% of capital cost.
Can you combine a solar grant with the Annual Investment Allowance?
Yes — they stack fully. Receive the capital grant first (for example 25% of cost in England), then claim the 100% Annual Investment Allowance on the residual cost against year-one taxable profits, up to the £1 million AIA cap. Most farm solar installs sit well within that cap.
Is the Improving Farm Productivity grant still open in 2026?
Yes. The Improving Farm Productivity grant remains the active England route for farm solar in 2026, with rounds typically opening in the February–April window. Because rounds are time-limited and competitive, get your MCS quote and application ready before the window opens.