SCHEME HUB
BISS — Basic Income Support for Sustainability
BISS is the main EU income support for Irish farmers, replacing the old Basic Payment Scheme. You get one payment entitlement per eligible hectare, worth between €100 and €66,000 a year in total. The 2026 application deadline was 15 May; advance payments start in October and balancing payments in December.
Everything we've published on BISS and your entitlements in one place: deadlines, the checks that catch expensive errors before you submit, and how to audit what you're actually entitled to. The application window is closed for 2026 — now is when you check your submission and get ready for payments.
Updated 8 July 2026
BISS at a glance
| 2026 application deadline | Midnight, Friday 15 May 2026 (now closed) |
| Late applications | Accepted until 9 June 2026, with a 1% payment reduction for each working day late |
| Amendments without penalty | Certain changes (fixing claimed areas, adding parcels) were allowed until 31 May 2026 |
| Advance payment | From October 2026 |
| Balancing payment | From December 2026 |
| Payment range | Minimum €100, maximum €66,000 per year |
| Active farmer rule | Minimum stocking rate of 0.10 livestock units/ha, or other farming activity such as cropping, silage or topping |
| Entitlements | One per eligible hectare; values converge toward a national average each year; unused entitlements are lost to the National Reserve after 2 years |
Figures from Citizens Information (page updated 15 May 2026) and the DAFM BISS 2026 terms and conditions. Always confirm your own case on MyAgFood.ie or with your FAS advisor.
Every BISS article we've published
Cross-Check Your BPS History Against Your LPIS Maps with Free Tools — Before Your BISS Closes
Your BPS payment history and LPIS maps are both free on agfood.ie. An AI assistant can compare th…
Find the gaps in your BPS entitlements before DAFM finds them for you
Cross-check your BPS payment history against LPIS maps using free tools and an AI assistant — bef…
ANC, CRISS, Sheep Welfare — the grants most farmers forget to claim, and how AI finds them
Three schemes worth thousands per year — and how AI helps you check eligibility in minutes.
Check Your Land Parcel History Before Your BISS Submission — Free Tools That Do It in 10 Minutes
Your land parcel history and LPIS maps are both free on agfood.ie — here's how to cross-check the…
Stop Losing Money on BISS — Audit Your Entitlements in Under an Hour with AI
Use free AI tools to check your BISS entitlements before the deadline and avoid costly mistakes
Save yourself a nasty surprise — what the 2026 CAP reform actually means for your payments
The 2026 CAP reform changes conditionality rules and payment ceilings — here's what shifts for Ir…
The 15-minute BISS checklist to run before you submit
Catch BISS application errors before they cost you a penalty — use this AI-powered checklist in 1…
Common questions
When was the BISS deadline in 2026?
Midnight on Friday 15 May 2026. Late applications were accepted until 9 June 2026 with a 1% payment reduction for each working day late. The application window for 2026 is now closed.
When are BISS payments made in 2026?
An advance payment may be made from October 2026, with balancing payments starting in December 2026. The advance normally covers the majority of your payment, with the balance following once all checks are complete.
How is my BISS payment calculated?
You get one payment entitlement per eligible hectare you farm. The value of each entitlement varies by your payment history and is moving toward a national average through convergence. The total ranges from €100 to a maximum of €66,000 per year.
What counts as an active farmer for BISS?
You must manage or farm the land — a minimum stocking rate of 0.10 livestock units per hectare (about one ewe per hectare), or other activity like producing crops, cutting hay or silage, or topping. You don't need to own the land, but you must control it.
Official sources
We translate — we don't advise. Always confirm scheme details, deadlines, and payments with DAFM or your agricultural advisor.