Area-based Schemes - Current Scheme Details
Here you will find useful information, Guides, Q&As and Forms for Area-based Schemes that are currently available from DAERA. They are listed below;
Farm Sustainability Transition Payment (FSTP)
FSTP is the largest Area-based Scheme available in Northern Ireland, and was introduced in 2025 to help smooth the transition from the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) to the Farm Sustainability Payment (FSP). Farmers wishing to apply for FSTP must:
- submit an online Single Application; and
- be actively farming at least 3 hectares of land; and
- hold an equivalent number of ‘Payment Entitlements’.
More information on Entitlements can be found here: Entitlements and Transfers 2025 | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.
Financial Ceiling - to be confirmed for 2025.
Guides and Forms
Some useful information on FSTP, with common Q&As and the relevant amendments form.
- Guide to Farm Sustainability Transition Payment 2025 | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
- Q&A Protein Crops Scheme 2025
- SAF3 FSTP 2025 | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS)
The Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) offers participants a 5-year agreement to deliver a range of environmental measures and has three levels:
- Higher Level - primarily for environmentally designated sites and other priority habitats
- Wider Level - to deliver benefits across the countryside, outside of environmentally designated areas. EFS Wider is no longer available for new applicants.
- Group Level - to support co-operative action by farmers in specific areas such as a river catchment
The Scheme objectives are to restore, preserve and enhance biodiversity, improve water quality and mitigate against climate change. EFS applications which deliver the most environmental benefit for these objectives will receive priority entry into the scheme.
Guides and Forms
The following documents will be available soon
- Guide to Claiming EFS Online 2025 | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
- Nomination Form for Authorised Person to act for EFS Agreement
- Nomination Form for Authorised Person to act as planner for EFS Agreement
Further Information and guidance on EFS can be found at:
Protein Crop Scheme
In 2021, DAERA introduced a farm payment for particular nitrogen fixing crops, (referred to as Protein Crops). The Protein Crops Scheme (PCS) is an additional payment to farmers for growing beans, peas and sweet lupins. Farmers do not have to claim Farm Sustainability Transition Payment in order to be eligible for PCS, however land used to grow protein crops may be claimed for both FSTP and PCS. Dual use claims are not permitted, i.e. both schemes cannot be claimed on the same field parcel by different farmers.
Protein crops are defined as:
- Spring Peas
- Spring Field Beans
- Winter Field Beans
- Spring Sweet Lupins
- Winter Sweet Lupins
The forage crops clover, alfalfa and lucerne are not eligible for aid under this pilot scheme.
More information can be found in the Guidance below.
Guides and Forms
- Guide to Farm Sustainability Transition Payment 2025 | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
- Q&A Protein Crops Scheme 2025
PCS1 Form for Protein Crops Scheme 2025 | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Young Farmers' Payment (YFP) / Regional Reserve (RR)
Young Farmers' Payment (YFP)
2025 will be the final year for new applications to the Young Farmers’ Payment.
Successful applicants to the Young Farmers’ Payment in 2025 will receive their top-up payment for five years.
YFP provides an annual top-up to the FSTP for those applicants who meet the YFP eligibility / evidence criteria. “Young farmers” are defined as:
- Natural persons who are setting up for the first time an agricultural holding as Head of Holding, or who have already set up such a holding during the five years preceding the first submission of an application under the FSTP and who are no more than 40 years of age in the year of submission of their first application for the FSTP.
- Head of Holding means the applicant must be exercising effective and long-term control over the business in terms of decisions related to management, benefits and financial risks.
- Legal persons may be granted access to the scheme if they meet similar conditions.
More information can be found in the Guides and Forms section below.
Regional Reserve (RR)
The Regional Reserve is used to provide entitlements for Northern Ireland farmers under the farm Sustainability Transition Payment (FSTP) in certain situations. The number of entitlements allocated and/or topped up from the Regional Reserve is limited to 90 per business.
Since 2022, DAERA will take into account any entitlements that have been transferred out by lease, sale or gift, either temporarily or permanently, by a business during the year of application to the RR and the previous two years when calculating any allocation of new entitlements from the RR. The allocation of new entitlements to the business will be reduced by the same number as was transferred out of that business.
The RR must be used to allocate payment entitlements to Young Farmers (YFs) and New Entrants (NEs). 2025 will be the final year that New Entrants and Young Farmers can obtain entitlements from the Regional Reserve.
DAERA may also use it to make awards to farmers who were prevented from being allocated entitlements as a result of a force majeure/exceptional circumstances and farmers eligible for revised entitlements following a court ruling or administrative act by DAERA.
Further information on RR and relevant forms can be found in the Guidance section below.
Guides and Forms
- Guide to Young Farmers’ Payment / Regional Reserve 2025 | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
- Young Farmers’ Payment / Regional Reserve form | Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs
Young Farmers' Payment / Regional Reserve Q&A 2025
Forestry Grants
The Forestry schemes listed below can all be claimed using the Single Application:
- Small Woodland Grant Scheme (SWGS)
- Forest Expansion Scheme Annual Premia (FEAP)
- Farm Woodland Scheme (FWAS)
- Farm Woodland Premium Scheme (FWAP)
The following Schemes are separate paper based applications which are currently opened:
These schemes are currently closed for applications:
Further information can be found on Forestry Grants at DAERA Forestry Grants.