Who is eligible for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT)?

Available in: England. Applicant must be a registered business. Most relevant to: Agriculture & Fisheries.

What is the deadline for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT)?

This is a rolling scheme with no fixed deadline.

Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT)

Natural England / Rural Payments Agency

Description

The higher-value, more specialist tier of England's Countryside Stewardship agri-environment scheme, funding bespoke, longer-term management of the most sensitive habitats and features — SSSIs, priority woodland and grassland, and historic/archaeological features — plus a wide range of capital items (from tree guards at £121.62 each to stone wall repair at £16.17/metre). Countryside Stewardship is now Higher Tier only: its former Mid Tier options were largely absorbed into SFI26 from 2024, and existing Mid Tier agreements due to end in December 2025 received a one-year extension to the end of 2026 rather than a fresh application route. CSHT reopened in September 2025, but applicants must first be invited by Natural England for pre-application advice before they can start an application — priority for that invitation currently goes to farmers whose existing CSHT or Higher Level Stewardship agreements are expiring in 2026 or early 2027.

Amount

Agreement-based revenue and capital payments tailored to the holding; example capital rates include £121.62 per tree guard and £16.17 per metre of stone wall repair

Deadline

Rolling / no fixed deadline

Eligibility summary

Available in: England.
Applicant must be a registered business.
Most relevant to: Agriculture & Fisheries.

Notes: Distinct from the now-defunct Mid Tier (its options were folded into SFI26) and from Landscape Recovery (much larger-scale, competitive, currently closed to new applicants — separate entry in this directory). 2026/27 pre-application invitations are prioritised for holders of expiring CSHT/HLS agreements over entirely new applicants.
Requirement: Farmer or land manager in England with land supporting priority habitats, species, or historic features suited to bespoke Higher Tier management; must first receive a Natural England invitation for pre-application advice before an application can be started.

Want help with this application?

R&D claims and business grants are exactly where a specialist can make the biggest difference — both in claim size and time saved. We're building relationships with vetted professionals who can help with applications like this — register your interest and we'll follow up when we have someone to recommend.

Some of the organisations we may connect you with pay us a referral fee if you use their service. This never affects which listings you see in the directory. No live partner is confirmed yet for this listing.

You can also do this yourself for free via the official source

How to apply

Wait for or request a Natural England pre-application advice invitation (priority currently given to expiring CSHT/HLS agreement holders), then follow the CSHT guidance on gov.uk to prepare and submit an application via the Rural Payments service.

View official source

Last verified: 23 August 2026. See the footer disclaimer — this is general information, not financial or tax advice.