Applications for £14m Fund to Open in July
A new flexible grants scheme offering farmers and crofters capital investment will open next month, Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon has announced.
The £14 million Future Farming Investment Scheme offers flexible capital grants to support investments in efficiency, nature and climate friendly farming. It will provide priority support in a number of areas, including for new entrants, and young farmers, small farms and tenants.
The Rural Affairs Secretary also confirmed that a three-year programme of national LiDAR scanning is underway to provide a detailed three dimensional baseline map of Scotland to help better understand the landscape and plan for the future.
A new Code of Practice on Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture has also been published.
Big boost for Scottish agriculture! @Scotgov launch the Future Farming Investment Scheme – up to £20K grants to help #farmers and #crofters invest in sustainable, climate-friendly practices. Applications open 14 July!
— Scottish Rural Network (@scotruralnet) June 19, 2025
https://t.co/34dl81Upmw@ScotCroftingFed @SAYFC @RSABI pic.twitter.com/hazhJ9SUby
Scotland invests more than £600 million a year in agriculture through reformed direct payments, Voluntary Coupled Support and Less Favoured Area Support Scheme – all in stark contrast to elsewhere in the UK.
RURAL AFFAIRS SECRETARY MAIRI GOUGEON
I am pleased to be able to confirm that, having worked with so many partners in its development, the Future Farming Investment Scheme will open on 14 July. The scheme will provide upfront payments of up to £20,000 at up to 100% grant rate and give people the freedom to choose the most appropriate capital investment to improve their business.
The Scottish Government recognises the importance of small suckler cow herds in some of our most remote and fragile areas. These cows deliver for biodiversity, landscapes, they help to sustain people and deliver socio-economic benefits, so from the 2026 scheme, farms claiming for 10 calves or fewer will receive a derogation from the calving-interval condition.
By working together we have secured a flexible support policy through the Agriculture and Rural Communities Act, ensuring the industry continues to benefit from reformed direct support. We are driving down emissions, improving productivity and supporting the next generation.
We do not have all the powers to protect the Scottish agricultural industry, but where we do, we have shown that long term policy made in Scotland for Scotland can serve this great industry well.
Background
The Code of Practice on Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture (ruralpayments.org)
