Form

How to complete your expression of interest

Published 21 July 2026

Applies to England

1. Overview

This form is to express interest in applying for certain Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) topics.

You can submit an expression of interest for:

• agroforestry
• woodland improvement

You can also submit an expression of interest for ‘single-focus agreements’ in the following areas:

• scheduled monument management
• species-rich grassland

‘Single-focus agreements’ contain a specific action or actions.

Submitting an expression of interest does not guarantee you will get a CSHT agreement.

2. Before you start

Do not complete this form for any sites you’re already in the process of applying for CSHT. This includes if you are in, or have been invited to, the pre-application stage for those sites.

You can complete an expression of interest if your invite or application is withdrawn.

Read through the guidance on Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier before expressing an interest.

Make sure you are registered with the right permissions on the Rural Payments service before expressing an interest on behalf of someone else.

For technical reasons, you cannot currently express an interest in a topic if it’s on common land. We are working to resolve this issue.

To complete the form, you will need the:

• single business identifier (SBI)
• customer reference number (CRN)
• business name
• site name (this can be the same as the business name)
• county most of the land you want to apply for is located in

If you have multiple sites with the same single business identifier (SBI)

You must submit:

• a separate form for each topic
• a separate form for each site

If you progress to the application phase, you will be invited to apply separately for each site. Only one application can be in progress at a time for each SBI.

If you are expressing an interest in scheduled monument management

To express an interest in applying for scheduled monument management, you need to check the scheduled monuments you want to include are mapped on the MAGIC website.

You can only express an interest in applying for the following CSHT actions:

• CHS2: Take historic and archaeological features out of cultivation
• CHS3: Reduce cultivation depths on historic and archaeological features
• CHS4: Control scrub on historic and archaeological features
• CHS5: Manage historic and archaeological features on grassland
• CHS9: Restrict crop establishment depth on historic and archaeological features

If you are expressing an interest in species-rich grassland

To express an interest in applying for species-rich grassland, you:

• need to be able to meet all of the requirements set out in CGS22: Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland
• cannot include or create upland calcareous or calaminarian grassland on the land you intend to apply for – check for this using the MAGIC website

If you are expressing an interest in agroforestry

To express an interest in applying for agroforestry, you need:

• an approved agroforestry plan and your plan number or numbers (if you have more than one)
• to have planted agroforestry trees on the land you intend to apply for

If you have not planted trees, you can apply for a grant under Higher Tier Capital Grants 2026. You will not be able to proceed with your expression of interest until you have you have done this.

If you are expressing an interest in woodland improvement

To express an interest in applying for woodland improvement, you need an approved woodland management plan that will support your CSHT application, and your plan number or numbers (if you have more than one).

You will also need approved species management plans, and their plan numbers, to include any of the following CSHT species management actions in your expression of interest:

• CWS1: Deer control and management
• CWS3: Grey squirrel control and management
• CSP13: Invasive plant species control and management (lower rate)
• CSP14: Invasive plant species control and management (intermediate rate)
• CSP15: Invasive plant species control and management (upper rate)
• CSP20: Edible dormouse control and management
• CSP21: American mink control and management

3. How to complete the form

You can complete a form for each topic and site that you are interested in applying for.

Depending on the topic you select, your form will be routed to the relevant organisation. Forms submitted for:

• scheduled monument management will go to Historic England
• species-rich grassland will go to Natural England
• agroforestry and woodland will go to the Forestry Commission

Complete all questions relevant to the topic to check your eligibility for submitting an expression of interest.