21 Jul 2026 Express an interest in a CS Higher Tier agreement

Defra has introduced a new Expression of Interest (EOI) process for Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier. 

You can submit an EOI for: 

• Agroforestry  
• Woodland improvement 

You can also submit an EOI for new single-focus agreements: 

• Scheduled monument management 
• Species-rich grassland 

To allow applications to be processed efficiently, up to 1,200 single-focus agreements will initially be available.  You can apply for more than one single-focus agreement.

Read more on this Defra blog post.

** Defra announced on 31 July that more than 300 expressions of interest have been submitted since applications opened on 21 July **