Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) Scheme

The Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) Scheme provides a direct annual income support, paid per eligible hectare, to Irish farmers to underpin their continued sustainability and viability, replacing the former Basic Payment Scheme. Payment is based on the number and value of Payment Entitlements a farmer holds, each of which must be matched to an eligible hectare of farmed land.

Grant range: €100 - €66,000
Funding level: 100%
Support type: Grant
Last checked: 3 Sept 2026

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About this scheme

BISS replaces the former Basic Payment Scheme and provides Irish farmers with a direct annual income support to underpin their sustainability and viability, capped at an effective rate of €66,000 per farmer per scheme year. Payment is based on Payment Entitlements: each farmer must hold at least one Eligible Hectare of farmed land per entitlement, and the number and value of entitlements a farmer holds depends on prior direct payment history, annual convergence towards the national average, and any entitlement transfers. To qualify, an applicant must have an eligible hectare for each entitlement, hold (or have applied for) a registered herd number, and be an 'Active Farmer' who is genuinely farming or managing the land. No payment is made below €100. Applications are made online via MyAgFood.ie by the annual closing date, or through a Farm Advisory System (FAS) approved advisor, with an advance payment issued in October and balancing payments from December. In-person Farmer Clinics are also held around the country to help farmers complete their applications.

Who can apply

Must have an Eligible Hectare to accompany each Payment Entitlement (1 eligible hectare declared = 1 BISS Payment Entitlement)
Must be a holder of a registered herd number, or have applied for one by the relevant scheme-year deadline (15 May in 2026)
Must be an 'Active Farmer' — the person actually farming and/or managing the land, e.g. meeting a minimum stocking rate of 0.10 livestock unit per forage hectare, producing crops, cutting hay/silage, or maintaining landscape features
No payment is made where the amount due is less than €100

How to apply

Apply online via MyAgFood.ie before the closing date (midnight, 15 May in the 2026 scheme year).
If your login or password has expired, contact the Department's Agfood Online Services Helpdesk to renew it.
Alternatively, authorise a Farm Advisory System (FAS) approved Advisor to apply on your behalf.
Respond to any preliminary checks by the relevant deadline, and make any amendments before the no-penalty amendment deadline (31 May in 2026) or, if late, before the late application deadline with penalty (9 June in 2026).
Receive payment: an advance payment is made in October, with balancing payments commencing in December.