Guidance

Applicant's guide: Capital grants plans 2026

Published 5 January 2026

Applies to England

© Crown copyright 2026

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/capital-grants-plans-2026/applicants-guide-capital-grants-plans-2026

Read this guidance to help you complete the following Capital grants plans and supporting maps:

  • PA1: Implementation plan
  • PA2: Feasibility study
  • PA4: Agroforestry plan
  • PA5: Moorland mapping plan
  • PA7: Species management plan

To apply for PA3: Woodland management plan, you must read the PA3: Woodland Management Plan grant guidance.

If you are applying for PA1: Implementation plan or PA2: Feasibility study, you must discuss your application with an adviser from:

1. Important dates 

Capital grants plan is open for applications all year from 5 January 2026. You can also apply for other capital grants at any time of the year.

2. About Capital grants plans

You can apply for one-off payments to create plans or studies to support other capital items or management actions.

2.1  Capital grants plans available

There are 5 plans available. They are:

  • PA1: Implementation plan
  • PA2: Feasibility study
  • PA4: Agroforestry plan
  • PA5: Moorland mapping
  • PA7: Species management plan

You may need a plan to help you understand which works or actions are needed as part of an application to Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier.

2.2 What the grant cannot pay for 

You cannot use the grant to pay for: 

  • planning application fees or other transactional fees
  • agent fees or other advisory fees
  • meeting legal requirements, including planning conditions and tenancy agreements
  • in-kind contributions (this means the value of donated work or services) or gifted materials where you have not incurred a cost for them

3. Who can apply and what land is eligible  

Capital grants plans are open to land managers who are: 

  • an owner occupier
  • a tenant
  • a landlord
  • a licensor if they have management control of the land and activities needed to meet the obligations of the grant for the full duration of the agreement

3.1 Land that is eligible 

To be eligible for a Capital grants plan agreement, land parcels must be entirely within England, and you must have management control of the relevant parcels as set out in section 3.3. 

The following land parcels may also be eligible: 

  • those included in a Forestry Commission approved woodland management plan or woodland creation plan
  • those in a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) or with a scheduled monument, including the boundaries of these sites
  • those already included in another CS agreement or in an ES Higher Level Stewardship agreement
  • common land and shared grazing governed by an existing common land, shared grazing and commons association, for more information read annex C of the Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) applicant’s guide

3.2 Land that is not eligible 

You cannot use a Capital grants plan for planning on works on land which is ineligible for any Defra scheme.

3.3 Management control of land 

Having management control means you’re the person actively farming the land and you’re either: 

  • the owner occupier
  • a tenant
  • in a group that farms on common land (including areas of shared grazing)

You must have management control of the land in an agreement for 5 years from the starting date of your agreement, or the countersignature of your landlord (see section 3.3.1). 

This includes all activities needed to meet the grant payment 

If you do not meet these requirements, you must get the written consent of all other parties who have management control. 

3.3.1 Tenants 

If you occupy land under a tenancy, you must have: 

  • a tenancy agreement for at least 3 years from the start of the Capital grants plan agreement (however, see the requirements in relation to a rolling tenancy below)
  • the agreement of your landlord before you apply

It is your responsibility to check when you apply that you do not breach the terms of your tenancy agreement. 

If your tenancy is renewed each year on a rolling basis, you must be certain your tenancy will extend to the length of your agreement, or you must have a countersignature from your landlord. You must check this with your landlord before you apply. 

If your landlord takes over a Capital grants plan agreement from you once your tenancy has ended, they must be eligible to do so. For example, they must not be an ineligible public body. 

3.3.2 Landlords 

If you are a landlord and can show that you have enough management control over the land and activities, you can apply for an agreement on land that has been let to a tenant. 

As the Agreement Holder, you must give your tenant a copy of the Capital grants plan agreement. We may ask you to provide evidence to show that you have done this. It is your responsibility to make sure that your tenant does not breach the terms of the agreement. 

3.3.3 Partnerships 

If you are in a business partnership, you can apply for a Capital grants plan. The person signing the application must have the appropriate permission levels in the Rural Payments service. 

3.3.4 Licensors 

If you are a licensor, you can apply for a Capital grants plan agreement on the land in a licence arrangement. It is your responsibility to make sure that the licensee does not breach the terms of the agreement. 

You must make sure that the licensee is aware of the requirements of the agreement, as relevant to the licence, and include these in the licence agreement. 

3.3.5 Licensees 

Licensees are usually not eligible for Capital grants plan as a licence arrangement will not provide sufficient management control of the land to the licensee for the agreement period. 

If in practice your licence agreement gives you wider land management responsibilities, this may mean you are a tenant and therefore may be eligible for a Capital grants plan. You must show that you have sufficient management control of the land and activities to be able to apply. See section 3.3.1 for more information about Capital grants plans for tenants. 

3.3.6 Land owned by public bodies 

Land is not eligible if it is owned or managed by: 

  • Crown bodies (including all government departments, executive agencies and trading funds)
  • non-departmental public bodies (NDPB)

See the list of all government departments, agencies and public bodies.

Land owned by some public bodies is eligible for a Capital grants plan if the work does not form part of their obligations as a public body. 

This includes land owned by: 

  • local authorities
  • national park authorities
  • public corporations

Parish councils and former college farms are not considered to be public bodies and so are eligible to apply for Capital grants plans. 

3.3.7 Tenants of land owned by public bodies 

If you are a tenant of a public body, you will need to check if the land is eligible for a Capital grants plan with your landlord. If it is, you must get the public body to countersign your application if you do not have a tenancy agreement for the 3-year term of the Capital grants plan agreement. 

If you do have a tenancy agreement for the full term of your agreement, you are eligible to apply as a tenant with management control of the land. See section 3.3.1. 

You cannot apply for a Capital grants plan for any work that is a requirement of your tenancy or any other legally binding obligation. 

3.3.8 Land in other schemes 

You can apply for a Capital grants plan on land in other schemes including:

  • Higher Level Stewardship
  • Countryside Stewardship
  • Wildlife offers
  • Sustainable Farming Incentive
  • Landscape Recovery

You may have a Capital grants plan agreement alongside any of the following agreements: 

  • Capital Grants
  • Higher Tier Capital Grants
  • Protection and Infrastructure grant
  • Woodland Tree Health

3.3.9 English Woodland Schemes 

You can apply for Capital grants plans on land parcels covered by an English Woodland Grant Scheme (EWGS) Woodland Planning Grant and certain capital grants (for example, WD2: Woodland improvement grant), if both of the following apply: 

  • this does not result in you being paid twice for the same items or activities
  • the Capital grants plan does not conflict with any ongoing EWGS requirements

3.3.10 Inheritance Tax or Capital Gains Tax exemption 

Capital grants plans are available on land designated by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) as conditionally exempt from Inheritance Tax or as the object of a Maintenance Fund. 

4. How to apply for Capital grants plans

4.1 Before you apply

If you are applying for PA1: Implementation plan you must contact Natural England to discuss your application.

You should discuss your application for PA2: Feasibility study with the appropriate responsible body:

4.2 When to apply

You can apply for PA1, PA2, PA4, PA5 or PA7 Capital grants plans throughout the year.

4.3 Before you start your application

You must complete the following steps before you can start your application.

Register or sign in to the Rural Payments service

You must be registered in the Rural Payments service to receive payments. To find out how to do this, read Register and update your details with the Rural Payments Agency on GOV.UK.

Check your details are correct

Check that your personal details, business details, and digital maps are up to date, and update them if needed.

You must register all the land on your application in the Rural Payments service.

To find out how to do this read the Make changes to your rural land maps guidance.

Check your permissions

To submit an application, you must have a ‘Submit’ permission level. You can find more information on the permission levels screen in the Rural Payments service: give or update permissions on GOV.UK. This sets out what is permitted at each level.

You can authorise an agent to fill in and submit your application for you. For an agent to act for you, you must give them the appropriate permission level in the Rural Payments service: give or update permissions. This applies even if you have previously authorised the agent using the paper agent authorisation form.

Read the grant plan requirements

To find out the requirements for each grant plan, check the details on the Capital grant finder:

If you need a paper copy of the grant plan guidance, call the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) helpline on 03000 200 301.

It’s your responsibility to make sure that:

  • you meet the scheme rules
  • all the eligible land included in your application is correct, to the best of your knowledge

4.4 Complete and submit your application form and maps

You must fill in a separate form for each Capital grants plan you apply for.

Fill in sections 1, 2 and 4 if you’re applying for:

  • PA1: Implementation plan
  • PA4: Agroforestry plan
  • PA5: Moorland mapping
  • PA7: Species management plan

If you are applying for PA2: Feasibility study, fill in sections 1 and 2 to ask for support from Natural England, Historic England or the Forestry Commission (whichever is relevant).

If your request is approved, the adviser will work with you to fill in section 3.

After discussing with your advisor, if you want to carry on with your application, fill in section 4 and send your final application form to RPA.

Complete the following sections of the form.

Section 1 - Applicant details

Fill in the details of the applicant for the proposed agreement. These details must be up to date in the Rural Payments service.

Question 4: if you do not have management control for the duration of the proposed agreement, you may still be able to apply. You must complete the Land Ownership and Control form to allow your landlord to countersign your application.

Section 2 - Proposed agreement details  

Choose which plan you are applying for.

Question 10: if you tick ‘Yes’ for information on ‘Other funding’ you must read:

Question 11: describe in simple terms how your application aligns to one or more of the expected funding categories: 

  • parkland restoration
  • building restoration
  • historic feature protection
  • habitat restoration (define type of habitat)
  • habitat creation (define type of habitat)
  • protection of rare or declining species
  • agroforestry planting
  • moorland mapping
  • grip blocking
  • section 38 approvals on commons
  • water resources plan – including non-Catchment Sensitive Farming (CSF) linked flood management projects
  • water management plans for water quality capital items RP7, RP8, RP9, RP10, RP11 or RP12 – including CSF commissioned water-holding structure action plan (to address water pollution and runoff issues) and water holding feature management plans (constructed wetlands and sustainable rural drainage features)
  • scrub management
  • tree works
  • woodland management
  • other

Section 3 - PA2: Feasibility study costings

Your adviser will fill in the ‘For Adviser Use only’ tables in this section and will include what contribution rate we will make to your proposal based on an assessment of your application in section 2.

Section 4 - Declaration and undertakings

  • fill in section 4 to confirm that you have read and understood the requirements of the grant scheme and the undertakings that you are making in submitting your application
  • if you are applying for a plan or study grant by post, you need to sign your application and any supporting forms
  • if you are applying by email, you do not need to sign the application or any supporting forms

4.5 Complete your application maps for PA1 and PA2 only  

Complete your maps to record the extent of your work and the location of any relevant features or works.

You must provide a map with your application to show details of your proposed Implementation plan  or Feasibility study on the ground. If your application is successful and we offer you an agreement, the map you supply will become your ‘Agreement Map’. It needs to be legible and meet certain standards.

You can source the map from a variety of places, for example Rural Payments Land Viewer or the MAGIC website. If you use MAGIC, please use the ‘export map tool’ - this adds the required licence information.

All maps must have the copyright licence for this use.   

The map must:

  • be A3 or A4 in size (either is acceptable)
  • be at a scale of 1:2,500 or 1:10,000 (Rural Payments Land Viewer will automatically scale your map to fit A4, which is acceptable)
  • show all the land parcels included in the plan
  • include the whole land parcel on the map if the plan only covers a part parcel or feature within a parcel

The map must have a key and include:

  • map number – including the unique map number and total number of maps, for example 1 of 3
  • scale of the map
  • single business identifier (SBI) – consisting of 9 digits, application year, and agreement title (as detailed on the application form)
  • name of business or applicant – this should be the name (beneficiary) that is registered with the RPA for the SBI
  • if there are no numbered OS grid lines, a 6 figure OS grid reference for the centre of the map, (format AB 123 456)

Circle the land parcel reference number for all parcels included in your application. For example, SK 1234 5678.

Use black ink for all annotations on the map. If you make a mistake do not use correction fluid – put a line through the mistake.

4.6 Check your application form 

Make sure that:

  • you have completed all relevant parts of the application form, including the signing and dating section – you do not need to sign the declaration if you are submitting your application online
  • all your land and business details are up to date and correct in the Rural Payments service
  • you have arranged for ‘Submit’ permissions in the Rural Payments service if you’re acting as an agent
  • you have completed map(s) showing the land parcels in this application (for PA1 or PA2 applications only)
  • you have included a copy of the plan brief or specification (for all PA1 applications and PA2 final applications only)
  • you have attached any applicable supporting documents or evidence (only for PA1 and PA2 applications)
  • you have attached any continuation sheets you’ve used in your application

Check the Capital grant finder to find out:

  • what evidence you need to provide for each Capital grants plan
  • which records you need to keep and supply if RPA ask to see them

4.7 Submit your application

By email

Send all parts of the completed form, together with maps and other supporting documents, if applicable, to ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk. A signature is not needed by email.

Include the correct subject line in your email to help RPA process your application:

  • ‘Capital grants plan PA1 Implementation plan application, [current scheme year], [your SBI]’ for PA1 applications

  • ‘Capital grants plan PA2 Feasibility study application, [current scheme year], [your SBI]’ for PA2 applications

  • ‘Capital grants plan PA4 Agroforestry plan application, [current scheme year], [your SBI]’ for PA4 applications

  • ‘Capital grants plan PA5 Moorland mapping application, [current scheme year], [your SBI]’ for PA5 applications

  • ‘Capital grants plan PA7 Species management plan application, [current scheme year], [your SBI]’ for PA7 applications

You must also put your SBI in your email and check it’s on everything you send.

You’ll receive an automated email to confirm RPA has received your application. Check your spam mailbox if you don’t receive this.

By post

You can send your application by post to:

Rural Payments Agency
PO Box 324
Worksop
S95 1DF

Put your SBI on everything you send. You must sign your application and any supporting forms.

It is recommended that you get proof of postage and keep a copy of your completed application form and any maps.

4.8 How RPA checks your application

When we receive your application, RPA will check that you:

  • meet the eligibility requirements
  • have entered all the necessary details on your application form
  • have sent all the necessary evidence including maps, photographs and consents, if applicable

If your application fails any of these checks, RPA will contact you to explain what is wrong.

RPA will assess your application and decide on funding.

You should not undertake works or incur costs until you have accepted an agreement offer.

If your application is successful, we will send you an agreement offer. To accept, you must return the signed acceptance declaration to us within 20 working days of the date on the offer. You have 3 years to complete your plan from your agreement start date. The agreement start date is shown in your agreement offer. You must not start any work before this date.

When you have an agreement

For PA4, you must complete an agroforestry plan template. Contact your local Forestry Commission operational delivery team hub to get your draft plan approved by the Forestry Commission or Natural England. You must include proof of approval when you submit your claim to the RPA for payment.

For PA5, you must complete a moorland mapping record which includes producing a detailed map. You must include the moorland mapping record and map when you submit your claim to the RPA for payment.

For PA7, you must complete a species management plan to create a 10-year management plan for the species that needs controlling. Contact:

When sending your template, please include the name of the species in the subject line of your email.

You must include proof of approval when you submit your claim to RPA for payment.

If your application is not successful

If you want it to be considered again, you can write to RPA at:

Rural Payments Agency
PO Box 324
Worksop
S95 1DF

Please include as much detail as possible and tell us why you think we need to review the decision.

Annex 1: Terms and Conditions

See the Capital grants agreements: Terms and Conditions 2026.

Annex 2: Contact details

Contact Rural Payments Agency (RPA)

If you have any questions, contact RPA by: 

  • email: ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk – include name of scheme and your SBI in the subject header
  • telephone: 03000 200 301 - Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm, except bank holidays
  • post: PO Box 324, Worksop, S95 1DF

Contact Forestry Commission

You can contact the Forestry Commission by email, phone or post.

Go to contact Forestry Commission for more details.

Contact Natural England

You can contact Natural England by:

  • email: enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk
  • telephone: 0300 060 3900 March to September: Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm, except bank holidays October to February: Monday to Friday, 10am to 3pm, except bank holidays Find out about call charges
  • post: Natural England, County Hall, Spetchley Road, Worcester, WR5 2NP

Contact other organisations

You may also need to:

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