The Rural Support Scheme (RSS) reflects the Government of Jersey’s commitment to strategic investing in our island’s primary producers. This vital support strengthens food security, fosters innovation, and helps preserve Jersey’s unique agricultural heritage, in line with the Rural Economic Framework (REF) 2022 priorities for Rural Support and Development.
It replaced or superseded earlier subsidy schemes (such as the Single Area Payment) and introduces a “credit-based” system that rewards farmers not just for production, but also for providing “public goods” — for example, environmental practices, landscape management, biodiversity, hedgerow maintenance, etc. In 2026, the scheme is delivered in four tiers (Tiers 1 to 4).
Thus, the RSS is a blended scheme: some support is simpler “credit / baseline payments”, other support is more project-based via grants (under RIS).
To be eligible for RSS, you must operate in the agricultural / land-based sector. More specifically:
To apply, you must submit various documentation (see below) by the application deadline (15 September 2026 for the 2026 scheme, for example).
| Criterion | Details / requirement |
|---|---|
| Economic activity threshold | If bona fide agriculturalist: gross margin ≥ £40,000 per year. If smallholder: gross margin ≥ £5,000 per year. |
| Land-based production | You must be actively engaged in land-based primary production (agriculture, horticulture). |
| Registration | You must be registered as an agriculturalist (or with the scheme) to qualify. If not yet registered, you should get in touch with the Rural Economy team. |
| Application and documentation (all available via the My RSS Portal). | To apply, you need to provide: an RSS Application form (for the relevant year), an Agricultural Return for the previous year, a Land declaration spreadsheet for the relevant period, Accounts or financial declaration for the previous year, signed by an accountant (All of these must be submitted before the deadline). |
| Deadline | For 2026, you must submit your application and required documents by 15 September 2026. |
| Tier progression / conditions | To benefit from grant support (via Tier 4), your enterprise must have credits from Tiers 1–3; the grant maximum is calculated using those credits. |
| Project criteria (for Tier 4 grants) | Projects supported under Tier 4 must align with the goals of the rural scheme: they should contribute to enterprise growth, diversification, environmental improvement, efficiency, etc. The grants may cover a portion (e.g. up to 80%) of the capital cost for qualifying projects, subject to a cap or maximum grant limit. |
| Grant caps / limits | For capital project grants: for bona fide agricultural businesses, the base rate is £10,000, and for smallholders £5,000; plus an “area rate” (e.g. £10 per vergeé) may apply depending on land managed. |
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