Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Rural Payments Agency
Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT)
Agreement-based payments for environmental land management actions on farmland in England, for land managers who want to deliver higher-tier environmental outcomes. Payment rates for individual actions are listed in the guidance rather than a single award size.
What it pays for
Conditions to know about
Page says it applies to England. Applicants express an interest first; the applicant's guide sets out the application steps. Payment rates per hectare for actions are listed in the separate guidance and are not award totals. Eligibility criteria are not summarised on this page.
How to apply
Applications go through the funder. Read their page for the full rules and the form.
Check if you can apply
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Source: Defra and RPA: funding for farmers, growers and land managers. Last checked 11 Nov 2026. Read from the funder’s page by AI, with each key fact checked against the page text.
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Listed under Farming and land, England
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