The latest application figures available for the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) show 74,134 applications submitted as of Tuesday morning 29 April 2025. The next two weeks will see peak activity with almost 50,000 applications left to be submitted before the deadline of 15 May 2025.
This is based on recent years’ application rates with in excess of 124,000 applications submitted under the 2024 scheme. While there is a high number of applications to submit, the figure is similar to recent years with over 45,000 applications submitted in the final 10 days in 2024.
Avoiding mistakes
Farmers and advisers are well accustomed to the new BISS system with two years’ applications under their belts. However, there is a higher risk of mistakes occurring when working to a tight deadline. The following are a number of useful tips to keep in mind when making your application.
1 Home screen checks
When you login to the BISS application portal there is some useful information presented before starting to submit your application. A provisional figure will be stated for Eco-Scheme Space for Nature, and under this is information relating to your farm’s stocking rate. This will detail the 2024 stocking rate and if the annual stocking rate and 28-week retention period was satisfied.
2 Active farmer check
Once you start your application, the first screen you will see is if your farm passes the active farmer check. In excess of 80% of applications already satisfy the active farmer status. There are three scenarios where an applicant will be asked to indicate what agricultural activity they are completing on certain parcels. These include:
Commonage applicants.Grassland but no livestock present.Highly stocked applicants with a stocking density of greater than three livestock units per hectare. There are five drop-down options to select for each of these parcels as follows:
1 Grazing livestock.
2 Grazing livestock and cutting hay/silage/haylage.
3 Cutting hay/silage/haylage.
4 Other maintenance activities.
5 No agricultural activity.
3 ANC selection
The scheme selection page will already have schemes such as BISS, the Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) and Eco-Scheme pre-selected where the farm participated in these in 2024. Close to 100,000 farmers will need to opt in to the areas of natural constraint (ANCs).
This page is also the application portal for the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS), Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM), Protein Aid Scheme, Multispecies Sward Measure and the Red Clover Silage Scheme and Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).
4 Eligible and claimed area
The CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 affords farmers an opportunity to get paid on features which deliver a biodiversity benefit and would have been listed as ineligible for payment heretofore. These so-called beneficial features include scrub, woodland, habitat, trees and rocks. Under the new rules up to 50% of a parcel can compromise of beneficial features and be included for payment.
The beneficial features totalling up to 50% of a parcel can be used for the purposes of receiving payments under the BISS, Eco-Scheme, CRISS, Young Farmers Scheme etc. The Department has taken account of these areas in a new figure called the ‘eligible area’.
This figure will be used for the purposes of drawing down payments under the Eco-Scheme. However, if farmers want to use the area of beneficial features to increase the area submitted for other schemes then the claimed area submitted in your BISS application must be increased to take account of this. Beneficial features will not contribute to stocking rate calculations.
5 Merging parcels
Land parcels can be merged in certain circumstances to bring the area of beneficial features below the 50% mark to receive full payment on the eligible area. It should be noted that there must be an agricultural activity taking place in this area of scrub, natural woodland etc for it to be deemed eligible.
The parcels to be merged must also have definite boundaries to be merged. The following parcels cannot be merged:
Non-adjoining parcels.No physical feature is present between the new parcel and other parcels following merging.Parcels in different townlands.Parcels with different ownership status.Parcels in different ACRES measures.Parcels in CP zones in ACRES.6 Eco-scheme
In excess of 90% of applicants are eligible to satisfy Eco-Scheme requirements via the space for nature measure. This is the first option listed on the Eco-Scheme page and details of the farm’s space for nature will be listed. Most farmers will be checking to ensure that the enhanced option is selected and then it is important to click on the green button for ‘Select and Save’.
7Scheme selection
This webpage follows the Eco-Scheme and is a useful review detailing what schemes you have opted in to for 2025.
8 Areas and entitlements
This is a really useful webpage that details the areas claimed and also gives an overview of the entitlement position. It states the percentage of entitlements that will be lost to the national reserve if unused in 2025. There was 19,000 entitlements possibly surrendered to the national reserve in 2024. More detailed information can be viewed on entitlements on the home page.
9 Confirm submission
It is important to follow your application through to the end and ensure that you have submitted it. This will be very clear and an option will be presented for you to download a copy of the submitted application.
10 Utilise available
resources
The Department’s BISS clinics are a great resource for farmers to gain one-to-one assistance with their application. Remaining clinics include the Department of Agriculture office in Cavan on 1 May; the Minella Hotel, Clonmel, Tipperary on 6 May; the Firgrove Hotel, Mitchelstown, Cork on 7 May; and the Department’s offices in Clonakilty, Cork on 8 May.
There are numerous other resources available that can help with your application. The BISS step-by-step application guide is a short concise leaflet that covers the important points of the application.
For more complex applications the Department’s “how-to” videos address aspects such as adding parcels/plots and deleting lands and submitting requests to change the eligible area of a parcel. The Department’s office in Portlaoise can also be contacted on 057 8674422 and its helpdesk will also be in operation in the run in to the deadline.
The latest application figures available for the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) show 74,134 applications submitted as of Tuesday morning 29 April 2025. The next two weeks will see peak activity with almost 50,000 applications left to be submitted before the deadline of 15 May 2025.
This is based on recent years’ application rates with in excess of 124,000 applications submitted under the 2024 scheme. While there is a high number of applications to submit, the figure is similar to recent years with over 45,000 applications submitted in the final 10 days in 2024.
Avoiding mistakes
Farmers and advisers are well accustomed to the new BISS system with two years’ applications under their belts. However, there is a higher risk of mistakes occurring when working to a tight deadline. The following are a number of useful tips to keep in mind when making your application.
1 Home screen checks
When you login to the BISS application portal there is some useful information presented before starting to submit your application. A provisional figure will be stated for Eco-Scheme Space for Nature, and under this is information relating to your farm’s stocking rate. This will detail the 2024 stocking rate and if the annual stocking rate and 28-week retention period was satisfied.
2 Active farmer check
Once you start your application, the first screen you will see is if your farm passes the active farmer check. In excess of 80% of applications already satisfy the active farmer status. There are three scenarios where an applicant will be asked to indicate what agricultural activity they are completing on certain parcels. These include:
Commonage applicants.Grassland but no livestock present.Highly stocked applicants with a stocking density of greater than three livestock units per hectare. There are five drop-down options to select for each of these parcels as follows:
1 Grazing livestock.
2 Grazing livestock and cutting hay/silage/haylage.
3 Cutting hay/silage/haylage.
4 Other maintenance activities.
5 No agricultural activity.
3 ANC selection
The scheme selection page will already have schemes such as BISS, the Complementary Redistributive Income Support for Sustainability (CRISS) and Eco-Scheme pre-selected where the farm participated in these in 2024. Close to 100,000 farmers will need to opt in to the areas of natural constraint (ANCs).
This page is also the application portal for the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS), Straw Incorporation Measure (SIM), Protein Aid Scheme, Multispecies Sward Measure and the Red Clover Silage Scheme and Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES).
4 Eligible and claimed area
The CAP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 affords farmers an opportunity to get paid on features which deliver a biodiversity benefit and would have been listed as ineligible for payment heretofore. These so-called beneficial features include scrub, woodland, habitat, trees and rocks. Under the new rules up to 50% of a parcel can compromise of beneficial features and be included for payment.
The beneficial features totalling up to 50% of a parcel can be used for the purposes of receiving payments under the BISS, Eco-Scheme, CRISS, Young Farmers Scheme etc. The Department has taken account of these areas in a new figure called the ‘eligible area’.
This figure will be used for the purposes of drawing down payments under the Eco-Scheme. However, if farmers want to use the area of beneficial features to increase the area submitted for other schemes then the claimed area submitted in your BISS application must be increased to take account of this. Beneficial features will not contribute to stocking rate calculations.
5 Merging parcels
Land parcels can be merged in certain circumstances to bring the area of beneficial features below the 50% mark to receive full payment on the eligible area. It should be noted that there must be an agricultural activity taking place in this area of scrub, natural woodland etc for it to be deemed eligible.
The parcels to be merged must also have definite boundaries to be merged. The following parcels cannot be merged:
Non-adjoining parcels.No physical feature is present between the new parcel and other parcels following merging.Parcels in different townlands.Parcels with different ownership status.Parcels in different ACRES measures.Parcels in CP zones in ACRES.6 Eco-scheme
In excess of 90% of applicants are eligible to satisfy Eco-Scheme requirements via the space for nature measure. This is the first option listed on the Eco-Scheme page and details of the farm’s space for nature will be listed. Most farmers will be checking to ensure that the enhanced option is selected and then it is important to click on the green button for ‘Select and Save’.
7Scheme selection
This webpage follows the Eco-Scheme and is a useful review detailing what schemes you have opted in to for 2025.
8 Areas and entitlements
This is a really useful webpage that details the areas claimed and also gives an overview of the entitlement position. It states the percentage of entitlements that will be lost to the national reserve if unused in 2025. There was 19,000 entitlements possibly surrendered to the national reserve in 2024. More detailed information can be viewed on entitlements on the home page.
9 Confirm submission
It is important to follow your application through to the end and ensure that you have submitted it. This will be very clear and an option will be presented for you to download a copy of the submitted application.
10 Utilise available
resources
The Department’s BISS clinics are a great resource for farmers to gain one-to-one assistance with their application. Remaining clinics include the Department of Agriculture office in Cavan on 1 May; the Minella Hotel, Clonmel, Tipperary on 6 May; the Firgrove Hotel, Mitchelstown, Cork on 7 May; and the Department’s offices in Clonakilty, Cork on 8 May.
There are numerous other resources available that can help with your application. The BISS step-by-step application guide is a short concise leaflet that covers the important points of the application.
For more complex applications the Department’s “how-to” videos address aspects such as adding parcels/plots and deleting lands and submitting requests to change the eligible area of a parcel. The Department’s office in Portlaoise can also be contacted on 057 8674422 and its helpdesk will also be in operation in the run in to the deadline.
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