Minister Heydon announces opening of application window for ACRES Non-Productive Investments
- Published on: 5 August 2025
- Last updated on: 5 August 2025
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon, today announced that the application window for Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) available under the Co-operation approach of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) is now open. NPIs are complementary environmental actions available to support ACRES Co-operation participants to enhance the sustainable management of their farms.
Making the announcement, Minister Heydon said:
“There are a wide range of complementary environmental actions which an ACRES Co-operation farmer may avail of under this element of ACRES. With the NPI application window opening today for 2025, I encourage all ACRES Co-operation participants to engage with their ACRES advisor to discuss the way in which their land could be enhanced through the implementation of an NPI and to avail of this opportunity to increase the environmental standard of their land and thereby attract a higher rate of payment through the resultant increase in the scoring of that land.”
Referring to the application process, the Minister commented:
“The same process is in place for this, the third NPI application window, as was for the application windows in 2023 and 2024. Applications, in the form of NPI Annual Work plans, are prepared and submitted by ACRES advisors on behalf of ACRES Co-operation participants. The NPI application window is opening earlier this year which may give ACRES Co-operation farmers an opportunity to discuss possible NPIs with their ACRES advisor when the advisor is out on their farm assessing and scoring their lands, with the deadline for submission of applications being Friday, 17 October 2025.”
Concluding his announcement, Minister Heydon added:
“NPI applications were submitted on behalf of 4,800 ACRES farmers in 2024, which was an increase on the number received in 2023. Some of those NPIs have now been implemented on foot of the approvals issued in respect of 2023 and 2024 applications, and the NPI claims system is now open for the submission of claims. We will see the value of those NPIs in real terms from now and it is worthwhile for ACRES Co-operation farmers to explore with their ACRES advisor the options available to them in the form of NPIs.”
Notes
The Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) is the agri-environment climate measure under Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027.
The Scheme is jointly funded by the European Union and the national exchequer.
There are two approaches within the Scheme:
- ACRES General, available nationally (outside of the high priority geographical area as defined for the ACRES Co-operation approach below), which offers a range of measures (both prescription and result-based); and
- ACRES Co-operation, available to farmers in defined high priority geographical areas. Map in Annex 1 of the ACRES Terms and Conditions for both Tranches shows the 8 ACRES Co-operation zones, with an ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) Team in place in each zone to assist the participants
Non-Productive Investments in ACRES Co-operation approach
Non-Productive Investments (NPIs) are actions that are available to participants in the Co-operation approach of ACRES to address environmental issues on the farm, directly contribute to environmental objectives or increase the farmers capacity to improve field scores through management.
The list of NPIs, and associated Specifications, is available on the department’s website at gov - Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) (www.gov.ie).
A specific NPI application window opens each year at which time applications, in the form of NPI Annual Work plans, are prepared and submitted by ACRES advisors on behalf of their clients.
The applications submitted are then referred to the ACRES Co-operation Project (CP) Team in the relevant ACRES Co-operation zone for environmental screening, with the outcome of that screening returned to the department. Following certain validations of the applications by the department, decision letters are issued, with a detailed NPI approval summary also subsequently sent to the participant to assist in the implementation of the approved NPIs.
Participants may not implement any action/investment until such time as they have received approval.
Applications may not be submitted in the short-term on behalf of ACRES Co-operation participants whose Business IDs are in the process of being amended. Functionality is currently being developed to address this. As the application window will be open until Friday, 17 October 2025, the deployment of the functionality will enable applications to be submitted for those participants in the latter weeks of the application window. Participants who have made changes to their Business IDs more recently (for example, in 2025) may not, however, be able to submit an NPI application until the fourth application window in 2026.
The opening of the NPI claims system (for the submission of claims in respect of the implementation of NPIs approved in December 2024 and April 2025) was announced by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine on 15 July 2025.
A video of an information webinar on the making of NPI claims is available on the department’s website.
Payments in respect of NPIs are scheduled to commence in October 2025, following validation of the claims and outcome of inspections where selected.
EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP)
The EU’s common agricultural policy (CAP) is a partnership between society and agriculture that ensures a stable supply of food, safeguards farmers’ income, protects the environment and keeps rural areas vibrant. EU countries implement the CAP at national level with a tailored CAP Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2027.
Ireland’s CAP Strategic Plan is co-funded by the EU and the Government of Ireland 2023-2027. For more information, visit www.gov.ie/cap.
Climate Action Plan
The Government of Ireland recognises that taking action on climate change, restoring and protecting nature, and improving our water and air quality is central to Ireland’s social and economic development, and to ensuring a good quality of life for everyone.