Current status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 19 August 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are for the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) and its evolution, in light of the four-tier model, and what consideration it has given to improving the accessibility of these schemes to crofters and small farmers.
Agricultural businesses, including crofters and small farmers, which are registered on the Scottish Government’s Rural Payments and Services website may apply to the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS). The scheme has now closed for applications in 2025, and detail of the 2026 round will be shared in late 2025.
An important feature of the scheme is a scoring system designed to avoid discrimination against smaller businesses, including crofters. This aims to promote applications by small businesses by awarding three additional points where the application value is less than £20,000.
Where an applicant’s business has less than 30 hectares, some beneficiaries are able to access small unit supplementary payments across many of the options over and above the income foregone payments for AECS options. This enables some businesses of less than 30 hectares to access important socio-economic options like native breed cattle introduction and retention.
An additional scoring uplift is also offered where two or more applicants intend to deliver an option collaboratively. This is available to all eligible applicants, including smaller businesses, crofters and common grazing committees.
As set out in the Agricultural Reform Route Map, AECS is expected to continue up to at least 2026 to deliver elements of Tier 3 until the new Elective support is implemented.
Opportunities to improve the equity of access to future support across all business sizes and types will be considered as part of the Agricultural Reform Programme. As part of this, a review of the AECS scoring system will be undertaken. We remain committed to co-designing the development of future support structures and delivery with rural partners, and this includes how existing schemes will transition to the four-tier model. It is right that we take the time necessary to develop the detail of our policies with the people directly affected by them, which is important if we are to deliver on our commitment to a just transition for our farmers and crofters. Following this process, further detail will be shared in due course.